Ohio Dog Bite Liability: Who Is Responsible—Owner, Keeper, or Harborer?

Dogs are the top pet in America, and in Ohio, by a wide margin. That margin continues to widen as more people welcome dogs into their households and we become a more “dog-friendly” culture. But with more dogs in more places, Ohio dog bite liability has become a growing concern.

Many owners consider their dog a part of the family. They talk about them, and often treat them, as though they were another person. These days, it’s not unusual to see dogs out in public, not just at parks and on neighborhood walks, but in stores, restaurants, and hotels, increasing the potential for interactions between dogs and people—and the opportunities for things to go wrong.

The owner, keeper, or harborer of a dog is liable in damages for any injury, death, or loss to person or property that is caused by the dog.

Most of the time, those interactions end with a belly rub or a friendly tail wag. But occasionally, they end with a bite. In Ohio, dogs bit nearly 20,000 people last year.

Dog experts—and state law—place responsibility not on the dog, but on the human in charge. And Ohio law makes an important distinction between three types of people who may be held responsible for a dog bite: the owner, the keeper, and the harborer. Knowing which category applies can make all the difference when it comes to seeking compensation for a dog bite injury.

Dog Ownership (and Bites) on the Rise

If you’ve been noticing more dogs around, it’s not just your imagination. The dog population has been on the rise for years and reached a record-high in 2024.

Logically, it makes sense that more dogs lead to more dog bites. Statistically, there is evidence to support this idea.

• From 1996-2024, the national dog population increased from 52.9 million to 89.7 million. Over the same period, the number of dog-owning households went from 31.3 million to 59.8 million.
• Nearly 4 in 10 Ohio households own at least one dog.
• Ohio had the seventh-most dog bite insurance claims last year, at an average cost of $44,885 per claim.
• In the past year, the average Ohio dog bite claim amount increased by nearly 15% and the total number of dog bite claims was up over 11%.
• Nationally, these figures saw bumps of 19% and 18%, respectively, year-over-year.
• Since 2015, the number of dog bite claims is up 18.9% while the value of claims has surged more than 40%.
• Dog attacks on mail carriers reached a 7-year high in 2024 (6,000+ nationwide).
• Ohio had the third-highest number of dog attacks on USPS carriers last year, at 350 documented bites, and several cities in the top 20 for dog bites in 2024: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, and Youngstown. The Buckeye State also ranked No. 3 in the 2023 report.

There were around 16,000 dog bites reported to the Ohio Department of Health in 2024. Roughly three-quarters of all reported animal bites in the state are dog bites, but experts say that thousands more bites go unreported.

It’s not clear how many of these bites result in serious injuries, says the Columbus Dispatch, which recently published an investigation into dog attacks and how Ohio dog bite law fails victims. Those that are reported are serious enough to warrant medical attention and/or a call to law enforcement.

According to the Dispatch, “under Ohio law, the owner of a dog that disfigures or even kills someone is likely to pay a fine that’s little more than a traffic ticket.”

Several high-profile dog attacks have occurred in southwest Ohio just this year, including an attack in Columbus that killed a 7-month-old girl, the mauling of an 8-year-old boy, and attacks in Colerain Township, Hyde Park, College Hill, and Winton Park.

Following the Dispatch’s investigation, and amid the recent string of vicious dog attacks, state lawmakers advanced a bill (Avery’s Law) that would strengthen the state’s dangerous dog laws to prevent attacks and hold owners accountable. The law was named in honor of Avery Russell, a young girl from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, who was severely injured in a dog attack.

If passed, the bill would expand civil and criminal liability for owners, harborers, and keepers of dogs that kill or causes serious injury to a person or companion animal.

Dog Owners, Keepers, and Harborers and Ohio Dog Bite Liability

Ohio dog bite liability law states that, “The owner, keeper, or harborer of a dog is liable in damages for any injury, death, or loss to person or property that is caused by the dog.”

But how does the law distinguish between a dog’s owner, keeper, and harborer?

Owner: The Legal Possessor

The owner is the person who legally owns the dog. This person is usually the one who purchased or adopted the dog, takes it to the vet, or registers it with the county. If the dog bites someone while under the owner’s supervision, the owner is usually the one held responsible.

Example:
Dan owns a dog registered in his name. If the dog escapes from his yard and bites a child, Dan is liable under Ohio’s strict liability law, even if this was the dog’s first aggressive act. Prior knowledge of danger isn’t required.

Keeper: The Temporary Caretaker

A keeper is someone who has physical control over the dog but doesn’t own it. This often includes dog-sitters, dog walkers, friends, family members, or neighbors watching the dog. Liability follows the person actually in charge of the dog at the time of the bite.

Example:
Laura is watching her coworker’s dog for the weekend. During a walk, the dog bites someone. Although she’s not the owner, Laura may be liable as the keeper since she had physical control and voluntarily accepted responsibility.

Harborer: The Person Who Lets the Dog Live There

A harborer is typically a person who allows the dog to reside on their property and has control over the premises, even if they don’t interact with or supervise the dog directly. This can include landlords, roommates, or family members, depending on who controls the property and the extent of the dog’s presence.

Example:
A college student brings his dog to live with him in a house rented by his parents. If the dog lives at the home full-time and the parents control the property, they could be considered harborers under Ohio law and be held liable, despite them not considering the dog “theirs.”

Landlord Exception

In most cases, landlords who rent out apartments or homes to dog owners aren’t automatically liable unless they harbored the dog (e.g., allowed it to roam in shared common areas or knowingly permitted a dangerous dog on site). Still, the lines can blur, especially when landlords live on the premises or share access with tenants.

Dog Bite Responsibility Depends on Control

Determining who qualifies as an owner, keeper, or harborer isn’t always clear-cut. Sometimes, multiple people could be held liable for the same dog bite, responsibility isn’t clear, or one party may try to shift blame to another. For example:

• What if a child is walking the dog? Is the parent liable as the true “keeper”?
• What if someone was just temporarily holding the leash for a moment? Could they be responsible?
• What if the dog lives with multiple roommates? Which person is considered the “harborer”?

Understanding the difference between these three parties is crucial because liability often depends on how the dog was being cared for, and by whom, at the time of the incident. But knowing where to direct your claim may not be obvious. That’s why it’s important to speak with an experienced dog bite attorney at Graham Law if you or a family member was injured in a dog attack.

After getting bitten by a dog in Ohio, you have 24 hours to report the attack to the health commissioner of the district where the bite occurred. Your time to file an injury claim is also limited, so your next call should be to Graham Law for a free dog bite case review.