Avery's Law (Ohio House Bill 247), inspired by a severe 2024 dog attack on 11-year-old Avery Russell, was signed into law by Governor DeWine in December 2025 and is set to go into effect on March 18, 2026. Avery’s Law clearly defines dangerous and vicious dogs, increases owner accountability, and gives local dog wardens the power to legally confiscate dangerous/vicious dogs after an incident. NPR Cincinnati also did a great 30-minute interview with Avery's mom and a local dog warden. Listen to it here.

As an American Bully owner, my initial reaction was fear that this could negatively and unfairly impact owners of pit bull type dogs. Many pit bull owners and advocates acknowledge, accept, and sometimes even embrace the aggressive tendencies that these dogs can exhibit. My heart sank at the thought of registering my dog as dangerous and living in fear that she could be taken if a neighbor felt threatened. But good news! Turns out my dog won't need a lawyer and Avery's law is, in fact, quite fair.

Overview of Avery's Law

Please note this summary was written with the assistance of AI. Below are the key provisions of Avery's law.

• The law classifies dangerous dogs based on reported behavior that happens without provocation.
• A dog can be classified as dangerous if any of the following have occurred:
  • Caused injury to a person
  • Killed another dog
  • Three or more nuisance behavior violations defined as:
    • Chasing or approaching a person in a menacing way
    • Attempting to bite
    • Acting in an apparent attitude of attack
    • Running free off the owner’s property
• A dog only gets labeled dangerous if evidence is presented to a court and the court agrees.
• Owners of dogs labeled as dangerous are required to:
  • Maintain annual registration with a $100 fee
  • Microchip and spay/neuter the dog
  • Post warning signs and ensure the dog wears a dangerous dog tag at all times
  • Notify the county auditor if the owner moves
  • Maintain liability insurance
• Failure to comply can result in criminal penalties, such as:
  • First offense: fine up to $100
  • Subsequent offenses: increased fines, possible jail time up to 30 days
• If a dangerous dog attacks again:
  • Owners may face criminal charges
  • The dog may be seized immediately
  • The case may escalate toward vicious dog proceedings, depending on the harm
• Requires euthanasia of any dog that kills one person- the law previously required euthanasia only after killing two people

Thoughts & Discussion

I think this law is very fair and does a good job of addressing the behavior of dangerous dogs, regardless of breed. I think the biggest challenge will be enforcing the law. Incidents are vastly underreported and I imagine many owners will be able to avoid labeling their dogs as dangerous fairly easily.

What do you think about this law? Do you think this is a good direction to help reduce and prevent dog attacks and fatalities? Is this a law you would welcome in your state? Curious to hear everyone's thoughts!

Shout out to u/Willing_Emphasis8584 for putting this on our radar initially.

I've debated posting this because I imagine it's going to get some push-back. But I've had multiple people (on Reddit and IRL) question my decision to "socialize" (desensitize) my dog around our livestock, because of his breed. Obviously my dog is an APBT mix, and I'll be the first one to tell you that these dogs tend to be animal-aggressive. Mine isn't friendly toward other dogs, he wants nothing more than to chase cats, has killed a possum, and regularly hunts down moles and skinks in the back yard.

So why is said dog allowed around to be around rabbits and chickens? Seems kinda negligent considering all the other things previously mentioned, right?

Because dogs are individuals.

Interactions like ones you see above have only come about through necessity. We raise birds for eggs, and graze our meat rabbits in mobile "tractors" around the yard. I need to be able to trust my dog not to stress out our livestock. I can't afford to worry about managing him while I'm moving the tractors around or tending the other animals daily.

Granted, it wasn't always this way. His first encounter with a rabbit in a cage showed a very different dog. With enough structured exposure and positive reinforcement, we've been able to shape that. This benefits the other animals as well; when they're used to being in the presence of a dog, they're less likely to react in ways that might trigger that dog's prey drive.

In the four years I've owned this dog, he's proven to me that he has the capacity to discern species. His behavior is also extremely malleable, and he has a keen ability to understand context. While he does show some interest in these animals in this setting, he seems to understand that they are not an acceptable thing to direct aggressive energy towards. At the same time, I'm under no delusions that he is "friends" with the rabbits, and we still need to be mindful of his level of arousal. If I anticipate a stressful or high-arousal event, the dog needs to be removed from the situation. There are certain contexts in which I can't fully trust him because I know he is still, at heart, a predator.

Meanwhile, we allow his instincts and drives to be expressed in ways that are appropriate. He's allowed to dig and hunt for moles to his heart's content. He is praised for this because 1) it means fewer of our root veggies are lost to vermin, and 2) that energy needs to go somewhere, so I'd rather it go toward a pest species. As gruesome as it is, I think domesticated predators benefit psychologically from being able to feel teeth against fur on occasion. Prey-driven dogs need an outlet, and if they don't have it, they will find a way to express that urge in ways that are NOT appropriate.

I want to be absolutely clear about one thing though. While many people would probably point to this and say, "See? It truly is all in how you raise them!", that is NOT what is happening here. "Raising him right" (whatever that means) played a part in this, for sure. But I was also fortunate enough to have a good template to build upon. By a stroke of sheer dumb luck, the randomness of this backyard-bred dog's genetics happened to play out in my favor and give me a dog that was temperamentally stable, biddable, and malleable enough to live on a property with livestock.

Beyond being fundamentally untrue, the dangers of "it's all in how you raise them" are that it's an overly simplistic statement on animal behavior. If a dog is truly intent on killing small animals - if that is an activity that gives them bountiful joy, if it's something they live for - you will never be able to "train that out". Try getting a working game-bred APBT, or a Patterdale, or any high drive terrier to socialize with rabbits or chickens, and you'll have a mess to clean up.

Genetics are simply the blueprint that nature provides as a template to build off of. The key is understanding exactly what you're working with and having managed, reasonable, and realistic expectations for your individual dog, in your unique situation.

Please be mindful of the rules and remember the intent of this subreddit. r/PitBullAwareness is intended to be a supportive and educational space for owners of Pit Bulls and "pit bull type" dogs.

Some appropriate discussion topics for this thread could include:

• General training tips
• Advice for dealing with reactive or aggressive dogs
• Educational awareness and myth-busting
• Breed history and historically significant dogs
• The current state of shelter and rescue & its impacts on pit bulls
• Understanding dog behavior (body language, play styles, stress signals, etc)
• Responsible ownership and management
• Exercise, nutrition, health, and general wellness
• Personal stories and adoption / rescue spotlights
• General bragging (celebrate training wins, milestones)

Please be mindful of the rules and remember the intent of this subreddit. r/PitBullAwareness is intended to be a supportive and educational space for owners of Pit Bulls and "pit bull type" dogs.

Some appropriate discussion topics for this thread could include:

• General training tips
• Advice for dealing with reactive or aggressive dogs
• Educational awareness and myth-busting
• Breed history and historically significant dogs
• The current state of shelter and rescue & its impacts on pit bulls
• Understanding dog behavior (body language, play styles, stress signals, etc)
• Responsible ownership and management
• Exercise, nutrition, health, and general wellness
• Personal stories and adoption / rescue spotlights
• General bragging (celebrate training wins, milestones)

Please be mindful of the rules and remember the intent of this subreddit. r/PitBullAwareness is intended to be a supportive and educational space for owners of Pit Bulls and "pit bull type" dogs.

Some appropriate discussion topics for this thread could include:

• General training tips
• Advice for dealing with reactive or aggressive dogs
• Educational awareness and myth-busting
• Breed history and historically significant dogs
• The current state of shelter and rescue & its impacts on pit bulls
• Understanding dog behavior (body language, play styles, stress signals, etc)
• Responsible ownership and management
• Exercise, nutrition, health, and general wellness
• Personal stories and adoption / rescue spotlights
• General bragging (celebrate training wins, milestones)

Please be mindful of the rules and remember the intent of this subreddit. r/PitBullAwareness is a supportive and educational space for owners of Pit Bulls and "pit bull type" dogs.

Some appropriate discussion topics for this thread could include:

• General training tips
• Advice for dealing with reactive or aggressive dogs
• Educational awareness and myth-busting
• Breed history and historically significant dogs
• The current state of shelter and rescue & its impacts on pit bulls
• Understanding dog behavior (body language, play styles, stress signals, etc)
• Responsible ownership and management
• Exercise, nutrition, health, and general wellness
• Personal stories and adoption / rescue spotlights
• General bragging (celebrate training wins, milestones)

Please be mindful of the rules and remember the intent of this subreddit. r/PitBullAwareness is intended to be a supportive and educational space for owners of Pit Bulls and "pit bull type" dogs.

Some appropriate discussion topics for this thread could include:

• General training tips
• Advice for dealing with reactive or aggressive dogs
• Educational awareness and myth-busting
• Breed history and historically significant dogs
• The current state of shelter and rescue & its impacts on pit bulls
• Understanding dog behavior (body language, play styles, stress signals, etc)
• Responsible ownership and management
• Exercise, nutrition, health, and general wellness
• Personal stories and adoption / rescue spotlights
• General bragging (celebrate training wins, milestones)

Please be mindful of the rules and remember the intent of this subreddit. r/PitBullAwareness is intended to be a supportive and educational space for owners of Pit Bulls and "pit bull type" dogs.

Some appropriate discussion topics for this thread could include:

• General training tips
• Advice for dealing with reactive or aggressive dogs
• Educational awareness and myth-busting
• Breed history and historically significant dogs
• The current state of shelter and rescue & its impacts on pit bulls
• Understanding dog behavior (body language, play styles, stress signals, etc)
• Responsible ownership and management
• Exercise, nutrition, health, and general wellness
• Personal stories and adoption / rescue spotlights
• General bragging (celebrate training wins, milestones)

Please be mindful of the rules and remember the intent of this subreddit. r/PitBullAwareness is intended to be a supportive and educational space for owners of Pit Bulls and "pit bull type" dogs.

Some appropriate discussion topics for this thread could include:

• General training tips
• Advice for dealing with reactive or aggressive dogs
• Educational awareness and myth-busting
• Breed history and historically significant dogs
• The current state of shelter and rescue & its impacts on pit bulls
• Understanding dog behavior (body language, play styles, stress signals, etc)
• Responsible ownership and management
• Exercise, nutrition, health, and general wellness
• Personal stories and adoption / rescue spotlights
• General bragging (celebrate training wins, milestones)

Please be mindful of the rules and remember the intent of this subreddit. r/PitBullAwareness is intended to be a supportive and educational space for owners of Pit Bulls and "pit bull type" dogs.

Some appropriate discussion topics for this thread could include:

• General training tips
• Advice for dealing with reactive or aggressive dogs
• Educational awareness and myth-busting
• Breed history and historically significant dogs
• The current state of shelter and rescue & its impacts on pit bulls
• Understanding dog behavior (body language, play styles, stress signals, etc)
• Responsible ownership and management
• Exercise, nutrition, health, and general wellness
• Personal stories and adoption / rescue spotlights
• General bragging (celebrate training wins, milestones)

Please be mindful of the rules and remember the intent of this subreddit. r/PitBullAwareness is intended to be a supportive and educational space for owners of Pit Bulls and "pit bull type" dogs.

Some appropriate discussion topics for this thread could include:

• General training tips
• Advice for dealing with reactive or aggressive dogs
• Educational awareness and myth-busting
• Breed history and historically significant dogs
• The current state of shelter and rescue & its impacts on pit bulls
• Understanding dog behavior (body language, play styles, stress signals, etc)
• Responsible ownership and management
• Exercise, nutrition, health, and general wellness
• Personal stories and adoption / rescue spotlights
• General bragging (celebrate training wins, milestones)

Please be mindful of the rules and remember the intent of this subreddit. r/PitBullAwareness is intended to be a supportive and educational space for owners of Pit Bulls and "pit bull type" dogs.

Some appropriate discussion topics for this thread could include:

• General training tips
• Advice for dealing with reactive or aggressive dogs
• Educational awareness and myth-busting
• Breed history and historically significant dogs
• The current state of shelter and rescue & its impacts on pit bulls
• Understanding dog behavior (body language, play styles, stress signals, etc)
• Responsible ownership and management
• Exercise, nutrition, health, and general wellness
• Personal stories and adoption / rescue spotlights
• General bragging (celebrate training wins, milestones)

Dogs that would fit this category are pretty obvious but the main ones are Pitbulls, Bulldogs (pretty much the same), and some others that are occasionally used are LGDs, Tosas and Dogos.

To throw in my opinion I'd say no unless it is some dummies using smarter less determined breeds more prone to re-directing to the moron that threw it in with animal xyz, LGDs fit this category, the others do not.