COLUMBUS – State Reps. David Thomas (R–Jefferson) and Rodney Creech (R–West Alexandria) have introduced House Bill 676 – legislation that is a targeted response to the rescue operation of approximately 400 animals from a fur and urine farm in Hartsgrove Township in December 2024 and the early weeks of January 2025.
In December 2024, hundreds of animals – including wolfdog hybrids, coyotes, foxes, skunks, raccoons and opossums – were discovered severely neglected on a one-acre residential property after the sudden death of the owner.
The situation posed a public safety risk to nearby families and children, required emergency county intervention and resulted in significant costs and loss of animal life, according to a press release from Thomas’ office.
The Global Animal Disaster Response at the Humane Society of the United States, Ashtabula County Dog Wardens and Humane Agents and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, along with County officials, took part in the rescue operation and aftermath.
On the day of their initial assessment on Jan. 5, there were 412 live animals when they got on site.
“It’s the largest number in my tenure of commissioner, in terms of animal welfare cases,” Commissioner Casey Kozlowski said at the time.
The agencies worked on caring for the animals and improving their conditions, while working to place them offsite in either temporary or permanent placements. Some animals had to be humanely euthanized or passed on their own.
The agencies worked with the Ohio Wildlife Rehabilitation Association to place the animals, as the animals could not be released in the wild.
According to information provided by the Humane Society of the U.S., the animals were being raised and slaughtered for fur, bred for sale as exotic pets, and held captive for urine farming.
The owner was propagating the animals, and even had an active Commercial Propagating License at the time of his death.
“There’s too many gaps in the agencies that allowed him to exploit that,” Global Animal Disaster Response at Humane Society of the United States Director Kelly Donithan said at the time.
Kozlowski commented at the time that the issue “shined some light on the deficiencies that exist in the state.”
“There could be an opportunity for modifications to change state law so a situation as extreme as this one doesn’t happen again,” Kozlowski said at the time.
Now, Thomas and Creech have introduced legislation they believe will address the issue.
“This bill is a very targeted approach to correct the issue that happened in Ashtabula County. Wolfdog hybrids are dangerous dogs and need additional regulation and safety standards,” said Rep. Thomas said in a press release. “Had we passed this bill five years ago, this horrible crisis would not have happened in Ashtabula County because it would have allowed easier access to the property and alerted the proper authorities earlier.”
The piece of legislation would do the following, according to the press release:
• Establish statewide registration and safety standards for wolfdog hybrids
• Improve coordination between county auditors, dog wardens and public health officials
• Allow counties to recover costs associated with emergency animal neglect responses through nuisance abatements
Several of these neglected animals were relocated to Rep. Rodney Creech’s district. He joined Rep. Thomas on this piece of legislation to address some of the gaps in Ohio law that was a root cause for this incident and neglect.
“This legislation establishes clear, responsible standards for the ownership of wolfdog hybrids while giving local governments the tools they need to protect public safety and monitor animal health. It’s a commonsense approach that balances individual responsibility with the well-being of our communities and the wolfdog hybrids within them,” said Rep. Creech in the press release.
This incident cost local taxpayers approximately $20,000 in immediate care and supplies, while nonprofit partners covered veterinary care, euthanasia, and relocation expenses totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Officials noted that without these nonprofits helping, the county may have had to euthanize all the animals, and those costs could have exceeded $100,000.
Both lawmakers expressed that they would continue to have conversations around some of the standards of care and neglect for these animals that could result in broad and comprehensive legislation in the future.
“That legislation will take time and careful collaboration,” Thomas added. “But the goal remains the same: providing a pathway for local authorities to be able to get on the property and inspect to make sure laws are being followed.”
House Bill 676 awaits a committee assignment.
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