The ballot initiative to ban dog auctions in Ohio is now in full "Phase 2 Relaunch" mode.

Putting it simply:

• 120,700 signatures from registered Ohio voters are needed to get the legislature to consider the proposed law in Jan. '11.

• These signatures must be collected in certain amounts from 44 of Ohio's 88 counties.

• 7,202 signatures were collected between Nov. '09 and Jan. '10.

• At least 113,498 more signatures are needed.

Locally by county, Cuyahoga has reached 14.58 percent of its county goal but still needs at least 1,986 more signatures, Geauga has reached 25.89 percent of its goal but still needs at least 304 more signatures, and Lake has reached 11.33 percent of its goal but still needs at least 299 more signatures, according to the campaign led by Mary O'Connor-Shaver of Columbus Top Dogs.

"The next Ohio Dog Auction is scheduled to take place in February. Over 300 dogs are expected to be placed on the block," O'Connor-Shaver said. "Now is the time to send a strong message to our state legislators that dog auctions are an embarrassment to Ohio and its humane-minded citizens, and voters and taxpayers are committed to supporting a 2011 ballot initiative to ban these events from our community."

To download a campaign kit, complete with a dog auction Q&A, an informational sheet on strategies to raise awareness and gather signatures from registered voters, and the petition itself, click here.

Click here to visit the campaign's Facebook page.

-- Sandra M. Klepach, SKlepach@News-Herald.com