The recent closure of the Grove City Petland store marks a turning point in a decade-long debate over where Ohio pet stores source their animals. While Petland maintains that the decision to close had nothing to do with public pressure, many in Central Ohio see it as a win for animal advocates and consumers alike—a sign that the tide is shifting toward greater accountability and compassion in the pet industry.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month—a time to shed light on the many forms of abuse that often go unseen. One such connection gaining long-overdue attention is the link between animal abuse and family violence.

Ohio has the chance to join a growing movement to protect cats from one of the most painful and unnecessary surgeries still being performed: declawing. Senate Bill 252 (S.B. 252) would make it illegal to declaw cats in Ohio, except in rare cases where it is medically necessary for the animal’s health.

The Ashtabula County Animal Protective League (ACAPL) is facing one of its most heartbreaking and overwhelming rescues to date. Earlier this month, a tip about inhumane conditions led to the removal of 72 cats and three dogs from two homes deemed “biohazards” by authorities.

The community of Canton, Ohio, is reeling after investigators uncovered a disturbing scene inside a home on Wertz Avenue. Following a tip from an animal rescue group, authorities executed a search warrant and discovered over 250 living rats, 100 deceased rats, dogs, turtles, and birds—all living among piles of filth, feces, and urine. Even more shocking, a box containing human bones was found inside.

In a groundbreaking shift, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced plans to phase out extramural grant funding for experiments involving dogs and cats. This decision comes after years of advocacy from animal welfare groups, including the White Coat Waste Project, and marks a major step toward more humane science.

The tragic death of Leonidas, a dog from Warren, Ohio, is another painful reminder of why stronger protections for animals are urgently needed.

Earlier this summer, the Friendship Animal Protective League (FAPL), with support from the Lorain County Sheriff’s Department, seized 239 birds connected to an illegal cockfighting operation in Sheffield Township, Ohio. This marks the fourth cockfighting-related seizure in Lorain County this year alone.

On August 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Joel Brown, 38, of Franklin County, Ohio, pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting and drug crimes.

On the morning of July 21, law enforcement officers responded to a false emergency call in Madison Township. The caller falsely claimed that a “grandma” had been shot in the kitchen of a home on the 3300 block of South Hamilton Road, near Hott Road.

A Wooster man who admitted to killing 17 cats using a makeshift gas chamber has been sentenced to just six months of probation. On Monday, he pleaded guilty to five counts of cruelty to companion animals and one count of petty theft.

An Ohio man has admitted to running a dogfighting operation while also engaging in drug trafficking — a disturbing reminder of the cruelty and crime tied to animal fighting ventures.