A. It is unlawful for any person to sell, exchange, trade, barter, lease, or display for a commercial purpose any dog or cat on or in any roadside, public right-of-way, parkway, median, park, or recreation area; flea market or other outdoor market; or commercial parking lot, regardless of whether such act is authorized by the landowner.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 3.2-6508.1

  • 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
  • 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
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Livestock: includes all domestic or domesticated: bovine animals; equine animals; ovine animals; porcine animals; cervidae animals; capradae animals; animals of the genus Lama or Vicugna; ratites; fish or shellfish in aquaculture facilities, as defined in § 3. See Virginia Code 3.2-6500
  • Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
  • 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
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.

B. This section shall not apply to:

1. The display of dogs or cats by or the adoption of dogs or cats from a humane society or private or public animal shelter as those terms are defined in § 3.2-6500;

2. The display of dogs or cats as part of a state or county fair exhibition, 4-H program, or similar exhibition or educational program;

3. The sale, exchange, or trade of dogs that are sold primarily for use in commonly-accepted hunting or livestock farming activities; or

4. A prearranged sale between a dog breeder and a specific individual purchaser. Such prearranged sale shall not take place at a regularly-occurring event such as a flea market or other organized trade venue.

2015, c. 679.

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