1950 Countryside Place
Fremont, OH 43420
(419) 334-2372 Phone
(419) 334-4290 Fax
The Start of Dog Laws & Why They Were Passed
The Ohio Dog Laws have been in effect since the late 1800s. The first dated law that we can find is dated April 22, 1852. It was enacted into law to protect farmers from dogs killing or injuring their livestock.
By 1862, a person had to give the tax assessor the true value of the dogs they owned and list it as other property for taxation. Any dog not listed was deemed a nuisance and any person was authorized to capture, kill, or confiscate it.
On May 9, 1908, a tax on dogs was passed and was the beginning of the dog licensing laws. It was ordered that the Auditor shall levy one dollar ($1.00) on each male and spayed female dog and two dollars ($2.00) on each non-spayed female. It was to be put into a special fund for the payment of sheep claims for farmers. Today, we still pay farmers for livestock that are killed by dogs. It also includes chickens, rabbits, goats, etc.
Although the Dog Warden's Office spends much less time on animal kill claims than in the past, we have many other aspects of the Office that has became important. Each year our two deputies respond to 800-1000 complaints, and drive approximately 20, 000 discharging their duties. Our deputies write citations, and spend time in the local county and municipal courts to witness for violations. We also attend training seminars, maintain the our office and kennel (the dogs housed here must be fed, watered, and cared for every day of the year), and do all of the housekeeping for our own facility. Our deputies also personally deliver all adopted dogs to the Veterinarian for spay or neuter. We also respond to emergency after hour calls of a serious nature.
If you wish to file a formal complaint about a dog, be prepared to give our office the most information that you can. Please keep in mind, all of our work here is public knowledge. We cannot keep your name anonymous unless you can demonstrate a clear threat to your safety.
We cannot accept dog complaints by email. If you have a complaint please call our office at 419-334-2372.
We need your name and address and as much information about the dog owner as possible. The more information (name, address, type of offense) that you can give the better we can do our job. We do not handle barking dogs, cats, or wildlife.
We have to see a violation to issue a citation, UNLESS you wish to sign a sworn statement. Keep in mind false statements can be prosecuted as perjury.
Due to budget constraints regarding overtime and staff limitations the dog warden's office does not respond to after hours complaints except in the case of emergency dog bites. Resolution 2007-19 Section 2.
*** Disclaimer ***
THIS SITE IS MAINTAINED BY THE DOG WARDEN'S OFFICE AND IS INTENDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. FOR A MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION OF OUR DUTIES AND OPERATIONS PLEASE SEE SECTION 955 OF THE OHIO REVISED CODE. THE SANDUSKY COUNTY DOG WARDEN'S PRESENCE ON PETFINDER.COM IS MAINTAINED BY VOLUNTEER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, AS A SERVICE TO OTHER CITIZENS. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON PETFINDER.COM ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE VIEWS OF THE DOG WARDEN'S OFFICE. THE DOG WARDEN'S OFFICE DOES NOT TAKE RESPONSIBLITY FOR ANY MISTAKES POSTED ON THE ABOVE SITE: INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO BREED, AGE, SEX, OR BEHAVORIAL TRAITS OF ANY OF OUR DOGS. DOGS BY THEIR NATURE ARE UNPREDICTABLE, AND MOST OF OUR DOGS ARE STRAY ALSO. ALL MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE DOG WARDEN'S OFFICE ARE SUBJECT TO APPROVAL AND REVISION BY THE SANDUSKY COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. ANY INFORMATION ON THIS SITE THAT MY CONFLICT, OR SEEM TO CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER COUNTY FUNCTION IS COINCIDENTAL.
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