Loose Dogs Allegedly Kill Family Cat, Attempt to Charge Children on Elyria Avenue

By Erik Jones

A disturbing incident on Elyria Avenue in Lorain has left a family grieving the loss of their cat and community members shaken. According to multiple eyewitness statements posted online, two loose dogs entered private property, attempted to charge at children, and killed a pet cat in front of its owners. The event sparked hundreds of community responses and reignited concern over leash law enforcement and dangerous dog accountability in Lorain.

The incident occurred near the House of Praise on Elyria Avenue. Estella Cruz, who shared her experience in a widely circulated social media post, said the dogs came onto her property while children were playing outside. “They charged our kids,” Cruz stated. “Our cat was sitting with us in the garage. When we tried to get the kids to safety, the dogs ripped our cat to pieces in front of us.”

Multiple witnesses confirmed the dogs were seen loose in the neighborhood and that police were contacted. According to Cruz, the owners were cited for having their dogs at large, but she said no further action was taken in response to the attack.

Online reactions were immediate and polarized. Some residents called for the dogs to be euthanized, while others argued the blame lies solely with negligent ownership. Several commenters speculated the dogs may have been starved, abandoned, or trained to fight, though no official evidence supports those claims at this time.

The incident has brought renewed attention to Ohio’s leash laws and the classification of dangerous or vicious dogs. Under Ohio law (ORC 955.22), dogs must be confined to the owner’s property or under reasonable control at all times. When dogs cause injury or death to another pet while off-leash, owners may face legal consequences, but enforcement varies by jurisdiction.

In some cases, Ohio law (ORC 955.28) allows for a dog to be legally killed if it is chasing, threatening, or attacking a person or another animal in a menacing or aggressive manner. The law also states that individuals who act in defense of themselves, their pets, or their property are not liable under animal cruelty statutes when taking such action.

In Lorain, questions are now being raised about how often these laws are enforced, especially when it comes to repeat offenders or animals that display aggressive behavior. Some residents expressed frustration that animal control reportedly declined to intervene unless the dogs were physically restrained, which is standard policy in many areas.

“This can’t just be a citation,” one commenter wrote. “If this had been a child instead of a cat, would the outcome have been different?”

Cruz confirmed the dogs were picked up by their owners and are no longer at large. However, she also noted that this was her cat’s first time outside, and only briefly, due to her awareness of past incidents involving stray or aggressive dogs in the neighborhood.

No official statement has been released by Lorain Police or the city’s animal control division regarding whether further investigation will take place. As of now, the owners are reportedly not facing criminal charges related to the cat’s death or the alleged attempted attack on children.

This incident has left many residents on edge and is likely to continue fueling discussion around public safety, dog ownership responsibilities, and the role of local enforcement.