Some animal shelter, rescue, and humane society employees and volunteers have reported that they are uncomfortable traveling during Ohio’s Stay at Home COVID-19 order, effective March 24th, because they fear being pulled over by law enforcement without documentation about their activities. While most law enforcement agencies do not seem to be aggressively questioning citizens, a…
Ohio’s COVID 19 “Stay at Home” order does not prevent you from caring for animals. The Ohio Department of Health issued an emergency order effective March 24, 2020 requiring all Ohio citizens to shelter at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But there are exceptions: Paragraph 5(e) permits a person to travel in…
Meeting with school officials about your child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) can feel like your worst nightmare. Sitting alone across from five or six administrators and experts has all the markings of a bad dream. But, it doesn’t have to be like that. Preparing for an IEP You can prepare for the meeting in a…
Every parent of a child with a disability worries – what happens when I’m gone? Other children grow up to become self-sufficient. A child with a disability grows into an adult with a disability. They will need someone there for them. Who will speak for your disabled child when you’re gone? Finding someone who “gets…
By now, you’ve probably seen someone’s Facebook page change to memorial status when they pass away. Facebook even lets you appoint a “Legacy contact” to manage your memorialized account. Or, you can choose to delete your account completely once you die. This Online Tool handles your Facebook account, but what about everything else? Snapchat? Google…
Nonprofits Beware! This very official-looking letter purports to provide your new Ohio nonprofit organization a Certificate of Good Standing for the fee of $67.50. This letter is NOT from the Ohio Secretary of State and is extremely misleading. Similar letters are being sent to nonprofits across the country with state-matched names such as “MI Certificate…
The PACT Act (Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act) was signed into federal law yesterday! This is a great law that builds on 2010’s Animal Crush Prohibition Act by making any activity defined as “animal crushing” potentially a federal crime, whether or not the act is committed as part of a crush video. Unfortunately, there…
On September 20, 2019, the 11th District Court of Appeals in Ohio held that a sentencing court may order an animal cruelty offender to forfeit horses as a condition of probation without going through the more cumbersome process of a full forfeiture proceeding. The history of this case is complicated. Defendant Bianca Marcellino was convicted…
State v. Benny Craft, a case we prosecuted which was investigated by the Ashland County Sheriff and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, with assistance from the Humane Society of Ashland County Ohio Craft was found guilty after a jury trial of cockfighting, two counts of animal cruelty and one count of possession of criminal tools.…
State v. Marlowe, a case we prosecuted for Animal Charity of Ohio. Marlowe was convicted of companion animal cruelty for neglecting 5 dogs at her house. One was emaciated and dehydrated in an outdoor, fenced area. The others were inside the basement, covered in debris, including a large accumulation of fecal material and urine, causing…