All dog bites
must be reported to the
Ashtabula County Health Department and the Ashtabula County Dog Warden’s Office per Ohio Revised Code
Dogs that have bitten a person must be quarantined for 10 days.
If you are bitten by a dog, we will attempt to assist the Health Department to identify the dog’s owner for compliance with the rabies quarantine. Citations for biting dogs must be issued to the dog owners on a case-by-case basis. If a dog is not properly confined, or is running loose, citations are generally issued. If a dog bites someone who is voluntarily on the property of the owner, it is considered a civil matter and not under jurisdiction of our office.
Many times people are understandably upset when they, or a relative, are attacked or bitten by a dog. Due to challenges to the state laws regarding dangerous and vicious dogs, and the structure of Ohio Law regarding dog bites, we are limited as to what we can legally do in these cases.