CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A Chillicothe dog owner faces a citation and a mandatory 10-day quarantine for her pet following a dog bite incident in an alleyway on Monday morning.
At approximately 11:57 a.m. on October 12, 2026, Chillicothe Police Department officers responded to a reported dog bite in the area of Vine Street and North High Street.
The victim, identified as Michael Kerns, reported that he was walking in an alleyway connecting Vine and North High streets—near Hines Automotive—when he passed a woman walking a dog on a leash. Kerns stated the dog overpowered its handler, lunged, and bit him on the right forearm, causing minor injuries. Kerns declined medical treatment at the scene.
A neighbor who witnessed the incident confirmed Kerns’ account. The witness told officers he watched the dog overpower the female handler before biting Kerns on the arm, adding that the same dog had allegedly bitten a bicyclist on North High Street a few years prior.
Officers located the dog’s owner, Katrina Melott, at a residence on North High Street. Melott stated she was walking her dog, named “Bruno”—described as a Pitbull and Great Pyrenees mix—when Kerns “snuck up” on them. She admitted she attempted to control the dog but was unable to prevent the bite. Melott noted that Bruno was current on his vaccinations and licensed.
The Ross County Dog Warden was called to the scene and took over the investigation. Melott was cited for Dog at Large and instructed to place Bruno under a mandatory 10-day quarantine.
