Lawmakers Hear Emotional Testimony for ‘Avery’s Law’ as Committee Adopts Substitute

Lawmakers in the House Public Safety Committee on the second hearing of House Bill 247 heard repeated calls to tighten Ohio’s dangerous-dog laws and accepted a substitute that sponsors described as combining several bills into a single measure called "Avery’s Law." The substitute would require mandatory liability insurance for owners of dogs deemed dangerous or vicious, increase penalties in some cases and add confinement, registration and reporting requirements.

The bill’s supporters led with personal testimony. "I was violently attacked by two vicious pit bulls," said Avery Russell, who told the committee she underwent nine hours of surgery, a medically induced coma and multiple reconstruction procedures. "The fight for Avery’s Law gives me hope," she said, asking lawmakers to prevent future attacks on children and other vulnerable people.

Avery’s mother, Drew Russell, urged accountability and called the proposed changes "not a partisan issue." She told the committee that local ordinances—like Reynoldsburg’s Ordinance 26-2025—have already increased penalties and that the state bill seeks to align state law with those local measures.

Medical evidence and public-safety witnesses framed the public-safety rationale the committee considered. Dr. Dana Schwartz, pediatric general surgeon and associate trauma medical director at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said her hospital treats roughly 400 pediatric dog-bite patients annually, including cases requiring multi-stage reconstructive surgery, lengthy hospital stays and long-term therapy. "These injuries are life-altering for patients," she said, noting that most victims are children under 9 and that attacks increase in summer months.

Local public-safety officials and victims described enforcement gaps under current law. Chris Shook of Reynoldsburg said the city’s ordinance raised the maximum municipal penalty to a first-degree misdemeanor (up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine) and said the substitute’s proposed state third-degree felony for negligent failure to prevent a vicious-dog act would better reflect the harm in severe cases. Larry Williams, chief dog warden for Licking County, urged broader impoundment authority, court-ordered training, mandatory liability insurance and a statewide registry to identify dangerous animals and keep the public informed.

Victims described the consequences of limited penalties and inconsistent enforcement. Steve Salopek recounted being attacked while running on private trails and said local outcomes can be limited to low fines and signage. Michael Schneider, a U.S. Postal Service carrier, described an attack while delivering mail that led to surgery and ongoing counseling; he said he still had not been able to obtain reliable insurance or ownership information needed for civil claims.

Sponsors, including Vice Chair Kevin Miller, said the substitute incorporated technical and substantive revisions from stakeholders: it narrows the mens rea for certain provisions, requires $100,000 liability coverage for dangerous or vicious dog owners, increases registration fees, clarifies definitions of injury and adds confinement and notification measures. Representative Miller told the committee the changes came after meetings with local officials, the Ohio County Dog Wardens Association and other parties.

The committee agreed, without recorded roll-call votes on the floor, to adopt the substitute amendment offered by Vice Chair Miller. The chair said the committee will continue working on the bill.

Supporters emphasized prevention and accountability, while witnesses and members raised implementation and resource questions: dog-warden officials said many counties lack vehicles, capture equipment and staffing to carry out expanded impoundment and enforcement duties. Several speakers also noted insurance coverage can be difficult to obtain or limited by breed exclusions, complicating victims’ ability to recover damages.

The committee did not take a final recorded vote on the bill during the hearing; legislators said further work and drafting adjustments will continue.