OHIO RESOURCES

OHIO LEGISLATURE

Link to the 135th General Assembly.

BILLS WE ARE WATCHING

Descriptions and links to bills that Ohio Fed is keeping an eye on as they move through the legislative process.

OHIO COUNTY DOG WARDENS ASSOCIATION

The OCDWA objective is to promote effective, efficient, and humane dog control programs for the health and safety of the public and their companion animals. Improve, promote, and obtain education, training, benefits, equipment, and adequate facilities for Dog Wardens and staff.

ANIMAL ABUSE RECOGNITION & REPORTING HANDBOOK

Developed by the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association.

OHIO ANIMAL ADVOCATES

Includes links to where to report animal abuse, domestic violence safe havens for pets, Ohio pet food pantries and low cost S/N clinics.

GUIDE FOR CHARITY BOARD MEMBERS

Prepared by the Ohio Attorney General's Office, this guide explains the legal duties and responsibilities of non-profit board members.

IDENTIFYING OHIO'S COMMUNITY CAT RESOURCES: A STATE OF THE STATE REPORT (2023)

A joint project of Ohio Animal Advocates and the Together Initiative for Ohio’s Community Cats.

FOR MEMBERS ONLY:

OHIO FED WEBINAR LIBRARY (members only)

Members of Ohio Fed have access to a limited library of recorded webinars originally offered live throughout the year. Log in to view. This webinar series is sponsored by Petco Love.

OHIO FED SHELTER ANIMALS COUNT COALITION (members only)

The Ohio Fed SAC Coalition is designed to foster collaboration and provide data tracking and reporting among our members at a statewide level. Participating in the coalition will help us gain a better understanding of what's going on in Ohio and compare it to what SAC reports nationally.

NATIONAL RESOURCES

ASPCA PRO

ASPCApro provides training, research and resources to help animal welfare professionals save more lives.

NATIONAL ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL ASSOCIATION

Committed to setting the standard of professionalism in animal welfare and public safety through training, networking, and advocacy.

HUMANE PRO

A resource from the Humane Society of the United States.

ASSOCIATION FOR ANIMAL WELFARE ADVANCEMENT

The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement’s mission is to champion, advance, and unify the animal welfare profession.

MADDIE'S FUND

Provides our industry with a national voice, funding for bold ideas, learning resources and opportunities to collaborate and share strategies.

BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY

Founded in its present form in 1993, Best Friends is a 501(c)3 nonprofit animal welfare organization that works nationwide with shelters, rescue groups and members to promote pet adoption, no-kill animal rescue, and spay-and-neuter practices.

HEARTS SPEAK

HeARTs Speak is a nationally recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that’s uniting art and advocacy to increase the visibility of shelter animals.

A monthly report of news from the National Resource Center on the link between animal abuse and human violence. 

A directory of agencies that respond to animal abuse complaints in over 6,500 counties, cities and towns, including 105 communities in Ohio. The directory was created by the National Link Coalition to make it easier report suspected animal abuse. It also contains hotlines for reporting child abuse, elder abuse and domestic violence.

SHELTER ANIMALS COUNT
Shelter Animals Count is a collaborative initiative formed by a diverse group of stakeholders to create and share a national database of sheltered animal statistics, providing facts, and enabling insights that will save lives. 

Resources provided by the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement.

HUMAN ANIMAL SUPPORT SERVICES

Human Animal Support Services (HASS) is an international coalition of animal services leaders and more than 30 pilot organizations transforming the traditional sheltering system to serve the entire community in supporting the human-animal bond. 

LAW ENFORCEMENT 

OHIO REVISED CODE

The Legislative Service Commission staff updates the Revised Code on an ongoing basis, as it completes its act review of enacted legislation. Updates may be slower during some times of the year, depending on the volume of enacted legislation.

ORC CHAPTER 959 ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY

A clear explanation on who is authorized to enforce ORC Chapter 959: Offenses Relating to Domestic Animals.

OHIO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HANDBOOK - ANIMAL CONTROL

This Chapter of the Handbook addresses a number of topics concerning dogs, including options for administration of Ohio’s dog laws; registration of dogs and kennels; fees and penalties; transfer of dogs; the dog and kennel fund; animal claims; the impounding, disposition, or humane destruction of dogs; dangerous and vicious dogs; contracts with municipalities; rabies quarantines and required vaccinations; and, relationships with humane societies.

OHIO ANIMAL LAW HANDBOOK (updated for 2024)

The Ohio Animal Law Handbook is a reference intended for persons who regularly investigate and enforce Ohio laws relating to animal control, cruelty, neglect and abandonment. It includes items the Editors believe will be of most use to investigators. It is not an exhaustive collection of every law pertaining to animals in Ohio. Price includes shipping and handling. Ohio Fed members can access a free, online version of this handbook by clicking here.

Edited by J. Jeffrey Holland, Holland & Muirden, Attorneys at Law, in February 2024.

Order online (right) or non-profits should download an order form to avoid sales tax.

OHIO ANIMAL CRUELTY INVESTIGATIONS MANUAL (updated in 2024)

Animal cruelty has been a crime in Ohio for more than 140 years. Yet the subject remains misunderstood by many courts, prosecutors, attorneys, the press, and even law enforcement officers.

Animal offenses are some of the most difficult to detect and prosecute, largely because the “victim” cannot speak. And unlike other property offenses, animal victims are often owned by the offender, so there is no objective person with an interest in the damaged property to report the crime.

The purpose of this manual is to remove some of the mystery and confusion by providing clear explanations, simple standards, and an easy reference for humane agents and other law enforcement officers involved in the investigation and prosecution of animal cruelty, neglect, and abandonment.

Order online (right) or non-profits should download an order form to avoid sales tax.

FOR MEMBERS ONLY:

SAMPLE JOB DESCRIPTIONS (members only):

• Humane Society Agent
• Field Services Officer

TIP SHEET - CALCULATING COST OF CARE (members only)

This tip sheet is meant to provide guidance for determining the amount of a bond or cash deposit that is needed to provide for a seized and impounded animal's care and keeping for thirty (30) days beginning on the date on which the animal was impounded. This tip sheet is now available here for Ohio Fed members. Log in to view.

Organizational members of the Ohio Animal Welfare Federation are eligible for these special PetPoint discounts: 

• 50% discount on new client on-boarding fee (retail ranges from $500-$1,500) 

• $5.95 for standard microchips on orders of 100+ (retail is $6.35) 

• $6.63 for 15-gauge chips on orders of 500+ (retail is $7.95) 

Ask your PetPoint representative for details! 

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

PETFINDER FOUNDATION

Numerous grants for things like enrichment programs, play yard renovation and senior pet programs. Log in to the Petfinder Foundation Grant-Management System for details and to apply.

ANIMAL WELFARE FUNDERS 

List of funders compiled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

ANIMAL SHELTERING GRANTS 

Explore grant opportunities for municipal agencies and nonprofit organizations

ASSOCIATION OF PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS (in collaboration with the Stanton Foundation)

Grants provide prosecutors with resources to ensure that canine cruelty and dogfighting cases are thoroughly investigated and properly adjudicated by addressing some of the financial barriers that exist for law enforcement and prosecutors. 

CAREER CENTER