Lucas County to offer pit bull adoptions

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — A northwest Ohio county will begin putting pit bull mixes directly up for adoption now that the state Legislature has cleared a bill that removes a reference to the dogs as “vicious.”

The measure has been sent to the governor for his signature. State law currently defines a vicious dog as one that has seriously hurt or killed a person, killed another dog or is among those commonly known as pit bulls. The bill would remove the reference to pit bulls from the definition.

The Blade newspaper reports that Lucas County will begin adopting out “pit bull”-type dogs within 90 days.

County Commissioner Carol Contrada says currently, the pound transfers them to the Toledo Area Humane Society and other groups, but does not put them up for adoption directly.