Virginia Code 3.2-6540.02: Notice of dangerous dog finding; penalty
A. Any releasing agency transferring or releasing for adoption within the Commonwealth an animal found to be a dangerous dog pursuant to § 3.2-6540 shall notify in writing the receiving party of the requirements of this section and §§ 3.2-6540, 3.2-6540.01, 3.2-6540.03, and 3.2-6540.04.
Attorney's Note
Under the Virginia Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 misdemeanor | up to $500 |
Terms Used In Virginia Code 3.2-6540.02
- Adoption: means the transfer of ownership of a dog or a cat, or any other companion animal, from a releasing agency to an individual. See Virginia Code 3.2-6500
- 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
- Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
- in writing: include any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed or inscribed on a tangible medium or (ii) stored in an electronic or other medium and retrievable in a perceivable form and whether an electronic signature authorized by Chapter 42. See Virginia Code 1-257
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Owner: means any person who: (i) has a right of property in an animal; (ii) keeps or harbors an animal; (iii) has an animal in his care; or (iv) acts as a custodian of an animal. See Virginia Code 3.2-6500
- Releasing agency: means (i) a public animal shelter or (ii) a private animal shelter, humane society, animal welfare organization, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or other similar entity or home-based rescue that releases companion animals for adoption. 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
B. Any releasing agency transferring or releasing for adoption outside the Commonwealth an animal found to be a dangerous dog pursuant to § 3.2-6540 shall notify the appropriate animal control officer in the receiving jurisdiction that the animal has been so adjudicated.
C. Any owner of an animal found to be a dangerous dog in another state shall, upon bringing such animal to reside within the Commonwealth, notify the animal control officer of the jurisdiction in which the owner resides that the animal has been so adjudicated.
D. Any owner who disposes by surrender to a releasing agency, gift, sale, transfer, or trade of an animal found to be a dangerous dog pursuant to § 3.2-6540 shall notify the receiver in writing that the animal has been so adjudicated. A violation of this subsection is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 464.