Ohio dog auction foes to try again after proposed ban doesn't draw enough signatures second time

12/30/2010

COLUMBUS — A group seeking to ban dog auctions in Ohio has failed a second time to gather enough petition signatures and will try again.

The Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions has collected more than 77,000 signatures from registered voters, well below the nearly 121,000 required to submit the proposal to the Ohio Legislature in January.

Coalition leader Mary O Connor-Shaver tells The Columbus Dispatch her group will make another go of it, aiming for January 2012 and a possible state ballot issue in November 2012.

In a first attempt last year, the coalition gathered only 7,000 signatures.

Dog auction critics claim the animals are often sick or mistreated. The Ohio Association of Animal Owners says dog auctions are well monitored and that a ban isn't necessary.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch