Ask a question on the site
Questions
Lawyers
Blogs
Legislation
Contacts
Become a lawyer
Login Registration
§ 3.2-6500. Definitions - As used in this chapter unless the context requires a...
§ 3.2-6501. Regulations and guidelines - The Board may adopt regulations and guidelines consistent with the...
§ 3.2-6501.1. Regulations for the keeping of certain animals - A. The Board shall, by July 1, 2022, and pursuant...
§ 3.2-6502. State Veterinarian's power to inspect premises where animals are kept; investigations and search warrants - A. The State Veterinarian and each State Veterinarian's representative shall...
§ 3.2-6503. Care of companion animals by owner; penalty - A. Each owner shall provide for each of his companion...
§ 3.2-6503.1. Care of agricultural animals by owner; penalty - A. Each owner shall provide for each of his agricultural...
§ 3.2-6504. Abandonment of animal; penalty - No person shall abandon or dump any animal. Violation of...
§ 3.2-6504.1. Civil immunity; forcible entry of motor vehicle to remove unattended companion animal - No law-enforcement officer as defined in § 9.1-101, firefighter as...
§ 3.2-6505. Disposal of animals by means of decompression chamber and use of gas chamber for companion animals prohibited - A. No animal shall be euthanized pursuant to the provisions...
§ 3.2-6506. Exceptions regarding veterinarians - Sections 3.2-6503, 3.2-6504, 3.2-6508 through 3.2-6519, 3.2-6557, 3.2-6559, 3.2-6561, 3.2-6564,...
§ 3.2-6507. Injured or sick animal; action by veterinarian - A. If a licensed veterinarian is called or by his...
§ 3.2-6507.1. Business license required - No commercial dog breeder shall breed dogs in the Commonwealth...
§ 3.2-6507.2. Commercial dog breeding; requirements - Commercial dog breeders shall: 1. Maintain no more than 50...
§ 3.2-6507.3. Right of entry - A. The Commissioner, the State Veterinarian or his assistant, any...
§ 3.2-6507.4. Concurrent operation of releasing agency prohibited - It is unlawful for a commercial dog breeder to operate...
§ 3.2-6507.5. Penalty - Any commercial dog breeder violating any provision of this article...
§ 3.2-6507.6. Duty of attorneys for the Commonwealth - It shall be the duty of each attorney for the...
§ 3.2-6508. Transporting animals; requirements; penalty - A. No owner, railroad or other common carrier when transporting...
§ 3.2-6508.1. Sale of dogs or cats prohibited in certain places - A. It is unlawful for any person to sell, exchange,...
§ 3.2-6509. Misrepresentation of animal's condition; penalties - No person shall misrepresent the physical condition of any animal...
§ 3.2-6509.1. Disclosure of animal bite history; penalties - A. Any custodian of a releasing agency, animal control officer,...
§ 3.2-6510. Sale of unweaned or certain immature animals prohibited, vaccinations required for dogs and cats; penalty - A. No person shall sell, raffle, give away, or offer...
§ 3.2-6511. Failure of dealer or pet shop to provide adequate care; penalty; report - A. Any dealer or pet shop that fails to adequately...
§ 3.2-6511.1. Pet shops; procurement of dogs; penalty - A. A pet shop shall sell or offer for adoption...
§ 3.2-6511.2. Dealers; importation and sale of dogs and cats; penalty - A. No dealer, commercial dog breeder, or cat breeder shall...
§ 3.2-6512. Sale without pet dealer's animal history certificate violation of Consumer Protection Act; contents of certificate - It shall be a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection...
§ 3.2-6513. Inclusion of false or misleading statements in certificate violation of Consumer Protection Act - It shall be a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection...
§ 3.2-6513.1. Pet shops; posting of information about dogs - A. Any pet shop that sells dogs shall place a...
§ 3.2-6513.2. Rental or lease of dog or cat prohibited; civil penalty - A. As used in this section, "covered person" means any...
§ 3.2-6514. Consumer remedies for receipt of diseased animal upon certification by veterinarian - A. If, at any time within 10 days following receipt...
§ 3.2-6515. Written notice of consumer remedies required to be supplied by pet dealers - A. A pet dealer shall give the notice hereinafter set...
§ 3.2-6516. Failure of pet dealer to effect registration after promise; violation of Consumer Protection Act; remedies; veterinary certification; finding of intestinal parasites; illness subsequent to sale - A. It shall be a violation of the Virginia Consumer...
§ 3.2-6517. Remedies cumulative - The remedies provided for pursuant to this article are cumulative...
§ 3.2-6518. Boarding establishments and groomers; veterinary care requirements; consumer notification; penalty - A. When an animal is boarded at a boarding establishment,...
§ 3.2-6519. Written notice of consumer remedies required to be supplied by boarding establishments; penalty - A. A boarding establishment shall give the notice hereinafter set...
§ 3.2-6520. Procedure for animals left unclaimed with veterinarian or boarding establishment after public notice; lien; sale - Any animal not claimed by its owner from a licensed...
§ 3.2-6521. Rabies inoculation of companion animals; availability of certificate; rabies clinics - A. The owner or custodian of all dogs and cats...
§ 3.2-6522. Rabid animals - A. When there is sufficient reason to believe that the...
§ 3.2-6523. Inoculation for rabies at public or private animal shelters - Dogs and cats being adopted from a public or private...
§ 3.2-6524. Unlicensed dogs prohibited; ordinances for licensing cats - A. It shall be unlawful for any person other than...
§ 3.2-6525. Regulations to prevent spread of rabies - A. The governing body of any locality may adopt such...
§ 3.2-6526. What dog or cat license shall consist of - A. A dog or cat license shall consist of a...
§ 3.2-6527. How to obtain license - Any person may obtain a dog license or cat license...
§ 3.2-6528. Amount of license tax - The governing body of each county or city shall impose...
§ 3.2-6529. Veterinarians to provide treasurer with rabies certificate information; civil penalty - A. Each veterinarian who vaccinates a dog against rabies or...
§ 3.2-6530. When license tax payable - A. The license tax as prescribed in § 3.2-6528 is...
§ 3.2-6531. Displaying receipts; dogs to wear tags - Dog and cat license receipts shall be carefully preserved by...
§ 3.2-6532. Duplicate license tags - If a dog or cat license tag is lost, destroyed...
§ 3.2-6533. Effect of dog or cat not wearing a license tag as evidence - Any dog or cat not wearing a collar bearing a...
§ 3.2-6534. Disposition of funds - Unless otherwise provided by ordinance of the local governing body,...
§ 3.2-6535. Supplemental funds - Localities may supplement the dog and cat license tax fund...
§ 3.2-6536. Payment of license tax subsequent to summons - Payment of the license tax subsequent to a summons to...
§ 3.2-6537. Ordinances; penalties - The governing body of any locality may, by ordinance, require...
§ 3.2-6537.1. Cash bond for a pet shop obtaining certain dogs - A. The governing body of any locality may, by ordinance,...
§ 3.2-6538. Governing body of any locality may prohibit dogs from running at large; civil penalty - Any locality may by ordinance prohibit the running at large...
§ 3.2-6539. Ordinance requiring dogs to be kept on leash - The governing body of any locality may adopt ordinances requiring...
§ 3.2-6540. Dangerous dogs; investigation, summons, and hearing - A. As used in this section, "dog" includes a hybrid...
§ 3.2-6540.01. Obligations of officer and owner following dangerous dog finding - A. After an animal is found to be a dangerous...
§ 3.2-6540.02. Notice of dangerous dog finding; penalty - A. Any releasing agency transferring or releasing for adoption within...
§ 3.2-6540.03. Violation of law by owner of dangerous dog; penalty - A. If an owner of an animal previously found to...
§ 3.2-6540.04. Subsequent attack or bite by dangerous dog; penalty - A. Any owner of an animal found to be a...
§ 3.2-6540.1. Vicious dogs; penalties - A. As used in this section: "Serious injury" means an...
§ 3.2-6541. Authority to prohibit training of attack dogs - Fairfax County may enact an ordinance that prohibits persons from...
§ 3.2-6541.1. Authority to prohibit ownership of particular breed - No locality shall prohibit the ownership of a particular breed...
§ 3.2-6542. Establishment of Dangerous Dog Registry - A. The Commissioner shall establish the Virginia Dangerous Dog Registry...
§ 3.2-6542.1. Renewal of dangerous dog registration - A. By January 31 of each year, until the animal...
§ 3.2-6542.2. Dangerous dog fees; local fund - All fees collected by a locality pursuant to § 3.2-6540,...
§ 3.2-6543. Governing body of any locality may adopt certain ordinances - A. The governing body of any locality of the Commonwealth...
§ 3.2-6543.1. Authority to enact parallel dangerous dog ordinance - The governing body of any locality may enact an ordinance...
§ 3.2-6544. Regulation of keeping of animals and fowl - A. Any locality may, for the preservation of public health,...
§ 3.2-6545. Regulation of sale of animals procured from animal shelters - Any locality that maintains or supports, in whole or in...
§ 3.2-6546. County or city public animal shelters; confinement and disposition of animals; affiliation with foster care providers; penalties; injunctive relief - A. For purposes of this section: "Animal" shall not include...
§ 3.2-6547. Acceptance of animals for research or experimentation; prohibition - No person shall use or accept for the purpose of...
§ 3.2-6548. Private animal shelters; confinement and disposition of animals; affiliation with foster care providers; penalties; injunctive relief - A. A private animal shelter may confine and dispose of...
§ 3.2-6549. Releasing agencies other than public or private animal shelters; confinement and disposition of companion animals; recordkeeping; affiliation with foster care providers; penalties - A. A releasing agency other than a public or private...
§ 3.2-6550. Requirements for foster homes; penalty - In addition to any other requirements of this chapter, foster...
§ 3.2-6551. Notification by individuals finding companion animals; penalty - A. Any individual who finds a companion animal and (i)...
§ 3.2-6552. Dogs killing, injuring, or chasing livestock or poultry - A. It shall be the duty of any animal control...
§ 3.2-6553. Compensation for livestock and poultry killed by dogs - Any person who has any livestock or poultry killed or...
§ 3.2-6554. Disposal of dead companion animals - The owner of any companion animal shall forthwith cremate, bury,...
§ 3.2-6555. Position of animal control officer created - The governing body of each county or city shall, or...
§ 3.2-6556. Training of animal control officers - A. Every locality employing animal control officers shall require that...
§ 3.2-6557. Animal control officers and humane investigators; limitations; records; penalties - A. No animal control officer, humane investigator, humane society, or...
§ 3.2-6558. Humane investigators; qualifications; appointment; term - A. A circuit court may reappoint any person as a...
§ 3.2-6559. Powers and duties of humane investigators - A. Any humane investigator may, within the locality where he...
§ 3.2-6560. Expenses of humane investigators - Neither the appointment of any humane investigator, nor the performance...
§ 3.2-6561. Revocation of appointment of humane investigators - A. Upon a motion by the attorney for the Commonwealth,...
§ 3.2-6562. Capturing, confining, and euthanizing companion animals by animal control officers; approval of drugs used - It shall be the duty of the animal control officer...
§ 3.2-6562.1. Rabies exposure; local authority and responsibility plan - The local health director, in conjunction with the governing body...
§ 3.2-6562.2. Rabies exposure reports - Each local department of health shall make available to its...
§ 3.2-6563. When animals to be euthanized; procedure - Any humane investigator may lawfully cause to be euthanized any...
§ 3.2-6564. Complaint of suspected violation; investigation - A. Upon receiving a complaint of a suspected violation of...
§ 3.2-6565. Impoundment; expenses; lien; disposition of animal - When an animal control officer, humane investigator, law-enforcement officer or...
§ 3.2-6566. Preventing cruelty to animals; interference; penalty - Each animal control officer, humane investigator or State Veterinarian's representative...
§ 3.2-6567. Enforcement authority - All law-enforcement officers in the Commonwealth and State Veterinarian's representatives...
§ 3.2-6568. Power of search for violations of statutes against cruelty to animals - When an affidavit is made under oath before a magistrate...
§ 3.2-6569. Seizure and impoundment of animals; notice and hearing; disposition of animal; disposition of proceeds upon sale - A. Any humane investigator, law-enforcement officer or animal control officer...
§ 3.2-6570. Cruelty to animals; penalty - A. Any person who (i) overrides, overdrives, overloads, ill-treats, or...
§ 3.2-6570.1. Sale of animals after cruelty or neglect conviction; penalty - Any person who has been convicted of a violation of...
§ 3.2-6571. Animal fighting; penalty - A. No person shall knowingly: 1. Promote, prepare for, engage...
§ 3.2-6572. Reserved - Reserved.
§ 3.2-6573. Shooting birds for amusement, and renting premises for such purposes; penalty - Live pigeons or other birds or fowl shall not be...
§ 3.2-6574. Sterilization of adopted dogs and cats; enforcement; civil penalty - A. Every new owner of a dog or cat adopted...
§ 3.2-6575. Sterilization agreement - Any agreement used by a releasing agency pursuant to subsection...
§ 3.2-6576. Sterilization confirmation; civil penalty - Each new owner who signs a sterilization agreement shall, within...
§ 3.2-6577. Notification concerning lost, stolen or dead dogs or cats; civil penalty - If an adopted dog or cat is lost or stolen...
§ 3.2-6578. Exemptions - This article shall not apply to: 1. An owner reclaiming...
§ 3.2-6579. Releasing agency; fees and deposits - A local governing body or releasing agency may charge and...
§ 3.2-6580. Civil penalties - Any animal control officer, humane investigator, releasing agency, the State...
§ 3.2-6581. Definitions - As used in this article: "Adequate confinement" means that, while...
§ 3.2-6582. Hybrid canine ordinance; penalty - A. Any locality may, by ordinance, establish a permit system...
§ 3.2-6583. Hybrid canines killing, injuring or chasing livestock - It shall be the duty of any animal control officer...
§ 3.2-6584. Compensation for livestock and poultry killed by hybrid canines - Any person who has any livestock or poultry killed or...
§ 3.2-6585. Dogs and cats deemed personal property; rights relating thereto - All dogs and cats shall be deemed personal property and...
§ 3.2-6585.1. Duty to identify; scanning for microchip - Any veterinarian, public or private animal shelter, or releasing agency...
§ 3.2-6586. Dog injuring or killing other companion animals - The owner of any companion animal that is injured or...
§ 3.2-6587. Unlawful acts; penalties - A. The following shall be unlawful acts and are Class...
§ 3.2-6588. Intentional interference with a guide or leader dog; penalty - A. It is unlawful for a person to, without just...
§ 3.2-6589. Selling garments containing dog or cat fur prohibited; penalty - It is unlawful for any person to sell a garment...
§ 3.2-6590. Jurisdiction of general district courts; right of appeal - Unless otherwise provided, the provisions of this article may be...
§ 3.2-6591. Definitions - As used in this article, unless the context requires a...
§ 3.2-6592. Manufacturers and contract testing facilities required to use alternative test methods when available - A. No manufacturer or contract testing facility shall use an...
§ 3.2-6592.1. Breeding cats and dogs for experimental purposes - Any person or entity that breeds dogs or cats, including...
§ 3.2-6593. Enforcement; civil action; penalty - The Attorney General may bring a civil action in the...
§ 3.2-6593.1. Animal testing facilities; adoption of dogs and cats - Any breeder or animal testing facility that no longer has...
§ 3.2-6594. Definitions - As used in this article: "Dangerous captive animal" means any...
§ 3.2-6595. Direct contact with dangerous captive animals prohibited - It is unlawful for any keeper to provide or offer...
§ 3.2-6596. Violation; penalty - Any person who violates any provision of this article is...