Ohio § 959.15 Animal fights

Ohio Statutes

§ 959.15 — Animal fights

Ohio § 959.15

Title 9Agriculture-Animals-Fences

Ch. 959Offenses Relating To Domestic Animals

This text of Ohio § 959.15 (Animal fights) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 959.15 (2026).

Text

(A)No person shall knowingly do either of the following:

(1)Engage in cockfighting, bearbaiting, or pitting an animal against another;

(2)Use, train, or possess any animal for seizing, detaining, or maltreating a domestic animal.

(B)No person shall knowingly do either of the following:

(1)Be employed at cockfighting, bearbaiting, or pitting an animal against another;

(2)Do any of the following regarding an event involving cockfighting, bearbaiting, or pitting an animal against another:

(a)Wager money or anything else of value on the results of the event;

(b)Pay money or give anything else of value in exchange for admission to or being present at the event;

(c)Receive money or anything else of value in exchange for the admission of another person to the event or for another

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(A) No person shall knowingly do either of the following:

(1) Engage in cockfighting, bearbaiting, or pitting an animal against another;

(2) Use, train, or possess any animal for seizing, detaining, or maltreating a domestic animal.

(B) No person shall knowingly do either of the following:

(1) Be employed at cockfighting, bearbaiting, or pitting an animal against another;

(2) Do any of the following regarding an event involving cockfighting, bearbaiting, or pitting an animal against another:

(a) Wager money or anything else of value on the results of the event;

(b) Pay money or give anything else of value in exchange for admission to or being present at the event;

(c) Receive money or anything else of value in exchange for the admission of another person to the event or for another person to be present at the event;

(d) Use, possess, or permit or cause to be present at the event any device or substance intended to enhance an animal's ability to fight or to inflict injury on another animal;

(e) Permit or cause a minor to be present at the event if any person present at or involved with the event is conducting any of the activities described in division (B)(1) or (B)(2)(a), (b), (c), or (d) of this section.

(C) A person who knowingly witnesses cockfighting, bearbaiting, or an event in which one animal is pitted against another when a violation of division (B) of this section is occurring at the cockfighting, bearbaiting, or event is an aider and abettor and has committed a violation of this division.