Findlay tightens penalties for dogs running at large, council adopts ordinance

Findlay City Council adopted an ordinance on May 7 amending municipal code section 505.01 to increase penalties for dogs running at large when the animal causes harm to people, domestic animals or personal property.

The measure, Ordinance 2025-040, keeps a minor-misdemeanor response for routine first-time escapes but makes a dog-causing-harm incident a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. The change also allows a court to order additional sanctions — including humane euthanasia of a dangerous animal — and clarifies that dog owners may be civilly liable.

The city’s law director summarized the change during debate, saying, “This is changing it from a fine between $0 and $150 automatically to misdemeanor of the fourth degree.” Council members discussed the ordinance’s scope, noting that routine roaming dogs would still be handled as minor offenses while repeated or injurious incidents would trigger the heavier criminal charge.

Council members and staff said the change was prompted by recurring local incidents and protracted discussions among prosecutors, defense attorneys and the courts. The law director said state-level action is possible in the future but the city could not wait and had authority to update its ordinance now.

The ordinance passed on a roll call vote with all present voting in the affirmative and was declared adopted.

Council members who spoke during the item pressed for clarity about penalties and court options and were told that the new local ordinance supplements, but does not replace, other state civil remedies in extreme cases.

The new language will appear in the codified ordinances of the City of Findlay and takes effect according to the ordinance’s provisions.