A Beware of Dog sign can be seen at the front of the Stevens’ home.
A Bowling Green man has surrendered two dogs that bit two people and were deemed dangerous.
The dogs will be euthanized. Other dogs that he owns may remain in the home.
Raymond Stevens Jr., 41, appeared Monday in Bowling Green Municipal Court in front of visiting Judge Mary Trimboli.
He pleaded no contest to two counts of failure to confine dogs, both fourth-degree misdemeanors.
Defense attorney Elizabeth Mertz said her client was emotionally attached to the dogs but the dogs allegedly bite.
“Obviously this has been a difficult case,” she said.
Stevens agreed to surrender the dogs, which were pitbull mixes, to the Wood County Dog Warden on Monday to be put down.
Trimboli imposed 30-day jail sentences on both charges, and suspended those days as long as Stevens pays restitution by Nov. 3.
Stevens must pay $1,572 and $392 to two women who claim to have been bitten by the dogs.
He was placed on one year of probation, with the condition he doesn’t get any new dogs.
Dogs owned by both Raymond and Kelley Stevens have a long history of getting loose and acting aggressive, according to more than a dozen Bowling Green Police Division incident reports.
Both have been cited numerous times for failure to confine dogs.
One report had the dogs running as far as Kramer Road, south of the city.
A caller on June 1, 2022, reported to BGPD there were approximately 10 loose dogs that belong to the couple, who live in the 900 block of North Summit Street. One of the dogs reportedly bit the caller, who declined medical treatment.
During an August response to loose dogs, the BGPD officer retreated back to his cruiser when the dogs showed signs of aggression. Raymond Stevens called the dogs back inside, and they went in without issue.
In September, one of the dogs reportedly jumped the fence and attacked a neighbor’s dog. At that time, Raymond Stevens said he was planning to install a privacy fence.
On Nov. 4, police were called to the 400 block of North Summit Street for a dog bite. The person showed the officer his lower right leg, which had a dog bite, and said he was jogging when two pitbulls began chasing him. Dispatched advised the dogs also had bit someone on Ridge Street on campus.
The dogs were eventually caught and taken to the dog shelter.
Also in November, BGPD took a report of two dogs running loose in the downtown area. After being caught, they were taken to the dog shelter where the officer was met by Kelley Stevens. She said the dogs were hers. The dog warden pointed out one pitbull was classified as dangerous. Stevens put the dogs in her vehicle and left.
The two dog bites Raymond Stevens is paying restitution on occurred March 24, both in the 300 block of Curtis Avenue.
One complainant had a bite in her left thigh. The loose dogs approached the officer, who pepper sprayed one that charged him. The dogs fled.
The second bite victim hid in her garage while waiting for police. The woman had been bitten on her lower right leg, right elbow, buttocks and left hand.
A Beware of Dog sign can be seen at the front of the Stevens’ home.
Chief Dog Warden Jodi Harding said Monday that the Stevenses had not complied with the dangerous dog laws.
A dangerous dog is one that killed another dog or bit a person unprovoked, she said.
The law states a dangerous dog must always been kept on a short leash and in a locked cage or locked yard.
The judge told Raymond Stevens he can keep his remaining dogs.
