Dog attacks happen without warning. You’re walking through your own neighborhood, visiting a friend, or simply going about your day — and then a dog that’s off leash, out of its kennel, or poorly controlled causes injuries that send you to the emergency room. It happens in Bellefontaine. It happened as recently as October 2025, when an elderly woman on Florence Avenue suffered severe injuries to her face and arms after two dogs escaped their outdoor kennels and attacked her. She was transported to Miami Valley Hospital for treatment. The dogs’ owner was cited for dogs at large.
That case is not unusual. What is unusual is when victims know their rights afterward, and follow through on them.
At Kruger & Hodges, our Bellefontaine office serves Logan County residents who’ve been hurt by someone else’s dog. Ohio law is firmly on the side of victims in these cases, and we’re here to make sure you understand what you’re entitled to and how to get it.
Dog Bites Are More Common Than Most People Realize
The Ohio Department of Health’s Zoonotic Disease Program tracks mammalian bites statewide through its annual reporting system, and the 2025 data makes one thing very clear: dog bites in Ohio are not rare events. In 2025 alone, the ODH recorded 14,840 dog bite exposure events across the state — the single largest category of mammalian bites reported, accounting for the majority of Ohio’s total 19,529 bite incidents that year.
That statewide figure represents bites formally reported through healthcare providers and veterinarians as required by Ohio Administrative Code Rule 3701328 — which mandates that any healthcare provider or licensed veterinarian with knowledge of a bite report it to the local health commissioner within 24 hours. In Logan County, those reports go to the Logan County Health Department, which then submits them annually to the ODH.
What those numbers don’t capture is the full scope of dog bite incidents — many people are bitten by dogs they know, treat the wound at home, and never seek formal care. The true number is almost certainly higher than what official reporting shows.
Logan County is a rural community with a large dog-owning population. Dogs that are kept outside on rural properties — in kennels, on chains, or simply running loose — create regular risk for neighbors, mail carriers, visitors, and passersby. The Logan County Dog Warden, located at 284 County Road 32 S. in Bellefontaine, handles calls about dog bites and vicious dogs. When a call involves a dog bite or a vicious dog, it is dispatched to the Dog Warden or a Sheriff’s deputy, depending on the time of day. A dangerous dog report may be completed, and the incident may be referred to the Logan County Health Department for review — exactly as happened in the Florence Avenue attack.
That official infrastructure matters to your case. Reports filed with the Dog Warden, the Logan County Health Department, and local law enforcement become part of the documentary record — evidence that exists independently of your own account of what happened.
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Ohio Law Is Clearly on Your Side
Ohio has one of the strongest dog bite liability laws in the country, and understanding it changes everything about how you should approach your situation.
Under Ohio Revised Code § 955.28(B), the owner, keeper, or harborer of a dog is liable in damages for any injury, death, or loss caused by that dog. There is no requirement to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous. There is no “one free bite” rule. The liability is essentially automatic once it’s established that the dog caused your injury.
The exceptions to this rule are narrow and specific: the owner escapes liability only if the victim was committing criminal trespass or another criminal offense beyond a minor misdemeanor at the time of the attack, or was teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog on the owner’s property. Outside of those circumstances, the owner’s responsibility is clear.
This structure has real practical consequences for Logan County victims. You don’t need to prove the dog had a history of biting. You don’t need a prior dangerous dog designation. You don’t need to show the owner was watching when it happened. If the dog caused your injury while you were lawfully present, the law holds the owner responsible.
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Difference Between Owner, Keeper and Harborer
One of the most important and underappreciated aspects of Ohio’s dog bite law is who it covers beyond the registered owner. The statute applies to the owner, keeper, or harborer of a dog — three distinct legal categories.
A keeper is someone exercising physical custody or control over a dog at the time of the attack, a family member watching a neighbor’s dog, a farm worker responsible for a property’s animals, or anyone else with daytoday control. A harborer is someone who provides regular shelter or residence for a dog, even without ownership, a landlord who allows a tenant’s dangerous dog to remain on the property, for instance, may have exposure as a harborer under Ohio law.
In rural Logan County, this matters. Dogs in agricultural or semirural settings are sometimes shared between households, cared for by farmhands, or allowed to roam between neighboring properties. Pinning down who was legally responsible for the animal at the time of a bite isn’t always straightforward — and it’s exactly the kind of analysis we do in these cases to make sure no avenue of recovery is overlooked.
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Where the Money Comes From in Dog Bites
One of the biggest reasons dog bite victims in Bellefontaine and Logan County don’t pursue claims is a reluctance to go after a neighbor, a family friend, or someone in their community. We hear this often, and we understand it. These are small communities where people know each other.
Here’s what most people don’t know: in the overwhelming majority of dog bite cases, the compensation comes not from the dog owner’s personal funds but from their homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. Dog bite liability coverage is standard in most homeowners’ policies, and Ohio law specifically requires owners of dogs designated as dangerous or vicious to carry liability insurance under ORC § 955.22(E).
When you make a dog bite claim, you are almost always making a claim against an insurance company, not against your neighbor’s savings account. Understanding that changes the calculus significantly for many victims.
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What You Can Recover After a Dog Bite
Dog bites cause real, documentable harm — and Ohio law allows victims to pursue compensation for all of it:
- Medical expenses: emergency room treatment, wound care, surgery, plastic surgery for scarring, infection treatment, and any followup care required as a result of the attack.
- Lost wages: income missed because the injury prevented you from working, whether for a day or for an extended period.
- Scarring and disfigurement: particularly for facial bites, which are both medically serious and permanently visible, Ohio law recognizes the compensable harm of disfigurement separate from medical costs.
- Pain and suffering: the physical pain of the attack and recovery, and the emotional aftermath. Fear of dogs, anxiety in public, and PTSD following a serious attack are real and documented consequences that courts recognize as compensable harm.
- Psychological injury: attacks that happen without warning, in places that feel safe, often leave lasting emotional effects. These are not minor or imaginary, and they don’t require you to have been hospitalized to be taken seriously.
What to Do After a Dog Bite in Logan County
The steps you take immediately after a dog bite can significantly affect your ability to recover full compensation:
- Seek medical attention right away — even if the wound seems manageable. Dog bites carry a serious infection risk, and documented medical care establishes the injury in the official record.
- Report the bite to the Logan County Dog Warden at (937) 5925731 or to Bellefontaine Police if it occurred in the city. Under Ohio law, bites must be reported to the local health district. That official report becomes part of your case.
- Document the scene and your injuries — photographs of wounds, the location where the attack occurred, and the dog itself if possible.
- Gather witness information — anyone who saw the attack or who knows the dog’s history.
Then call us. The sooner we’re involved, the better we can protect your rights and build the strongest possible case.
Kruger & Hodges Dog Bite Lawyers Right Here in Bellefontaine
Our office at 139 W. Columbus Ave., Suite 304, is where Logan County residents can get serious legal help without leaving their community. Dog bite cases are handled on a contingency fee basis — meaning no fees unless we win for you. Contact us today.
Call or text 937-530-4286 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form