Subject to R.C. § 955.261(A)(2) and (A)(3), a dog that is chasing or approaching in a menacing fashion or apparent attitude of attack that attempts to bite or otherwise endanger, or that kills or injures a person, or a dog that chases, threatens, harasses, injures, or kills livestock, poultry, other domestic animal, or other animal that is the property of another person, except a cat or another dog, can be killed at the time of that chasing, threatening, harassment, approaching, attempt, killing, or injury. If, in attempting to kill such a dog, a person wounds it, the person is not liable to prosecution under the criminal laws or ordinances that punish cruelty to animals. Nothing in this section precludes a law enforcement officer from killing a dog that attacks a police dog as defined in R.C. § 2921.321.
(R.C. § 955.28(A)) (2000 Code, § 90.08)