Lassie’s Law requires work crews locate owners of deceased pets

Lassie’s Law would require Ohio road work crews try to locate owners of deceased pets

By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau

Posted on:
Wednesday, May 1, 2024

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Lassie’s Law, an Ohio House bill, would require road crews who discover a deceased dog or cat to try to find the owner of the animal by scanning it for pet identification chips.

Rep. Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton) said when dogs or cats are hit by cars or their bodies are picked up by road crews, the animals haven’t been scanned for the identification microchips that many pets have. Carruthers says her bill, known as Lassie’s Law, would require a scan within 24 hours.

“It requires road service crew members, when they discover a deceased dog or cat while they are performing road crew things on the road in the right of way or wherever, to have to scan, use a microchip scanning device, on the animal prior to its disposal,” Curruthers said.

Carrurthers said the bill also requires that owners must be notified immediately so they can bury or cremate the animal as they see fit. She said her dogs have broken out of the yard before so this issue is personal for her.

“I would hate for something to happen and to never know whatever happened to my pet,” Carruthers said. “I mean, that just sounds horrible to me.”

With only three Republicans signed on to sponsor the bill, Carruthers said she doesn’t think there’s enough support to pass it by the end of the session in December. But she said sponsoring it is the right thing to do.