State of Ohio v. Joseph Jones, Case No. 2018-0601
First District Court of Appeals (Hamilton County)

ISSUE: Does state law require that a dog must be previously designated a "dangerous dog," under R.C. 955.222 before its owner can be forced to pay restitution for damages caused by the dog?

BACKGROUND:
On May 15, 2016, around 3:30 a.m., Joseph Jones was walking his dog, an American Pit Bull named Prince Bane, near the apartment building where he lived. When Jones spotted a stray female dog that looked similar to Prince Bane, he took his dog off the leash so the two dogs could interact. Alyssa Rushing, who lived in the same apartment building, took her dog, a Chinese Crested Hairless, out for a walk around the same time. Rushing and her dog were on the apartment building steps when Prince Bane and the stray dog spotted Rushing's dog and began running toward her.