Virginia Code 3.2-6513.1: Pet shops; posting of information about dogs
A. Any pet shop that sells dogs shall place a clear and conspicuous sign near the cages in the public sales area stating: “USDA APHIS Inspection Reports Available Prior to Purchase.” The sign shall be no smaller than eight and one-half inches high by 11 inches wide, and the print shall be no smaller than one-half inch.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 3.2-6513.1
- Animal: means any nonhuman vertebrate species except fish. See Virginia Code 3.2-6500
- Animal control officer: means a person appointed as an animal control officer or deputy animal control officer as provided in § 3. See Virginia Code 3.2-6500
- Collar: means a well-fitted device, appropriate to the age and size of the animal, attached to the animal's neck in such a way as to prevent trauma or injury to the animal. See Virginia Code 3.2-6500
- Consumer: means any natural person purchasing an animal from a dealer or pet shop or hiring the services of a boarding establishment. See Virginia Code 3.2-6500
- Dealer: means any person who in the regular course of business for compensation or profit buys, sells, transfers, exchanges, or barters companion animals. See Virginia Code 3.2-6500
- Department: means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. See Virginia Code 3.2-100
- Facility: means a building or portion thereof as designated by the State Veterinarian, other than a private residential dwelling and its surrounding grounds, that is used to contain a primary enclosure or enclosures in which animals are housed or kept. See Virginia Code 3.2-6500
- Humane: means any action taken in consideration of and with the intent to provide for the animal's health and well-being. See Virginia Code 3.2-6500
- Includes: means includes, but not limited to. See Virginia Code 1-218
- Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
- Pet shop: means a retail establishment where companion animals are bought, sold, exchanged, or offered for sale or exchange to the general public. See Virginia Code 3.2-6500
- Private animal shelter: means a facility operated for the purpose of finding permanent adoptive homes for animals that is used to house or contain animals and that is owned or operated by an incorporated, nonprofit, and nongovernmental entity, including a humane society, animal welfare organization, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or any other similar organization. See Virginia Code 3.2-6500
- State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
- State Veterinarian: means the veterinarian employed by the Commissioner as provided in § 3. See Virginia Code 3.2-5900
B. Any pet shop that sells dogs shall maintain for each dog in its possession a written record that includes the following information:
1. The breed, age, and date of birth of the dog, if known;
2. The sex, color, and any identifying markings of the dog;
3. Any additional identifying information, including a tag, tattoo, collar number, or microchip;
4. Documentation of all inoculations, worming treatments, and other medical treatments, if known, including the date of the medical treatment, the diagnosis, and the name and title of the treatment provider;
5. For a dog obtained from a breeder or dealer, (i) the state in which the breeder and, if applicable, the dealer are located; (ii) the U.S. Department of Agriculture license number of the breeder and, if applicable, the dealer; (iii) the final inspection reports for the breeder and, if applicable, the dealer, issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture from the two years immediately before the date the pet store received the dog; and (iv) the facility where the dog was born and the transporter or carrier of the dog, if any;
6. For a dog obtained from a public animal shelter, the name of the shelter; and
7. For a dog obtained from a private animal shelter or humane society, the name of the shelter or organization and the locality in which it is located.
C. Any pet shop that sells dogs shall maintain a copy of the written record required by subsection B for at least two years after the date of sale of the dog and shall make such record available to the Office of the State Veterinarian upon reasonable notice, to any bona fide prospective purchaser upon request, and to the purchaser at the time of sale. Any such pet shop shall transmit the information required by subdivisions B 5, 6, and 7 to the local animal control officer upon request.
D. Any violation of this section, except for a violation of the requirement of subsection C to make records available to the Office of the State Veterinarian or transmit information to the local animal control officer, shall also constitute a prohibited practice under § 59.1-200 and shall be subject to the enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act (§ 59.1-196 et seq.).