(a) Except for service animals and dogs kept by an institution or organization for teaching and research purposes under Section 955.16 of the Ohio Revised Code, or dogs kept as law enforcement canines under Section 955.012 of the Ohio Revised Code, no person shall own, keep or harbor a dog more than three months of age without registering such dog with the County Fiscal Officer for a period of one year, three years or a permanent registration. Failure of any dog at any time to wear a valid registration tag shall be prima-facie evidence of lack of registration and subject such dog to impounding and disposition as provided in Section 505.51 of this Chapter and Section 955.16 of the Ohio Revised Code.
(1) Service animals. All service animals shall be registered in accordance with this subsection.
A. Registration for a service animal shall be permanent and not subject to annual renewal so long as the animal is a service animal.
B. A service animal shall be exempt from any fee for the registration.
C. In order to register a service animal, a person shall be asked to answer the following questions on an application for registration provided by the County Fiscal Officer:
1. Is the animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?
D. No documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal shall be required in order to register a service animal.
E. A certificate and tag stamped "Ohio Service Animal - Permanent Registration", with registration number, shall be issued upon registration of a service animal.
(b) An animal shelter that keeps or harbors a dog more than three months of age is exempt from paying any fees related to registration if it is a nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under Subsection 26 U.S.C. § 501(a) and described in 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(c) No registration required under this Section and acquired by any person who owns, keeps or harbors a dog pursuant to this Section and Section 505.56 may be utilized by any person to register or license any dog other than the dog for which the registration was issued, and no person shall place upon another dog a registration or license tag issued for another dog.
(Ord. 99-356. Adopted 7-12-99; Ord. 2012-285. Adopted 8-27-12; Od. 2013-355. Adopted 8-12-13; Ord. 2015-082. Adopted 3-2-15.)
(Ord. 99-356. Adopted 7-12-99; Ord. 2012-285. Adopted 8-27-12; Od. 2013-355. Adopted 8-12-13; Ord. 2015-082. Adopted 3-2-15.)