New proposed bill would make abuse of an animal’s corpse a felony in Ohio

MIAMISBURG — The body of a dog that had been stabbed multiple times and thrown in a dumpster caused a lot of controversy over the summer.

>> Previous Coverage: Miamisburg police close ‘unsettling’ case involving student who stabbed dead dog

The people accused of mutilating the dog’s corpse never faced any charges because there is no law in Ohio saying someone can’t abuse a dead animal.

A bill has been proposed that could make actions like that a felony going forward.

“It was just horrific and disturbing that this happened to this dog even though it was deceased,” said Miamisburg Police Sgt. Jeff Muncy.

People in Miamisburg were angry with the police department that the teenagers accused of stabbing this dog’s body over the summer were never charged.

“There wasn’t really anything we could do. There was no crime on the law on the books,” Muncy said.

Which is unacceptable to State Representative Tom Young.

“We need to make sure events like this do not continue to happen,” Young said.

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News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott sat down with Young who said when he saw our previous report, he was left disgusted.

“I was just sitting there going, ‘you gotta be kidding me,’” he said.

Young and Muncy proposed their addition to the Ohio Revised Code Wednesday at the statehouse.

The proposal would protect against the mutilation of a pet’s body.

It reads “No person, except as authorized by law, shall knowingly treat a companion animal corpse in a way that would outrage reasonable community sensibilities.”

Those found guilty would be charged with a felony in the fifth-degree abuse of an animal. Those convicted would also need to seek help.

“The court shall require that the offender undergo psychological evaluation in counseling,” Young said.

Had this bill been a law when the teenagers stabbed and threw out the dog’s body, then Muncy says he would have been able to charge them.

Young said he feels strongly that this bill will become law, that more than 60 percent of Ohioans are pet owners, and he can’t see a reason why people would not support this passing.

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