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SB359: (Patron Deeds) pertaining to the trap, neuter and release (TNR) of feral cats. link
VFHS POSITION: SUPPORTS * Trap, Neuter, Return programs are vital to cat population management in communities. Individuals, rescues, shelters and pounds must all be able to provide TNR programs or we will continue to have the hundreds of thousands of cats entering our pounds and shelters only to continue the 70-80% euthanasia rate. TNR programs can reduce shelter intake and therefore costs of housing and euthanasia.

SB477: (Patron Lucas) pertaining to possession of dangerous wild animals. link
VFHS POSITION: SUPPORTS

HB650: (Patron Kory) Companion animals; euthanasia. Requires a city or county pound to maintain a registry of organizations willing to accept healthy, nonvicious animals scheduled to be euthanized, and prohibits the pound from euthanizing such animals until it has given 24 hours' notice to all of the organizations in its registry. The bill also requires a pound to make available annual statistics on impounded animals. link
VFHS POSITION: SUPPORTS

HB158: (Patron Hope) Devocalization of cats and dogs; penalty. Requires veterinarians to keep records of devocalization procedures and provides that any person, including a licensed veterinarian, who performs a surgical devocalization on a cat or dog when such procedure is not necessary to treat or relieve an illness, disease, or injury or to correct a congenital abnormality that is causing or may cause the animal physical pain or harm is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+ful+HB158
VFHS POSITION: SUPPORTS

HB537: (Patron Orrock) Dangerous dog registry. Changes the procedure by which dangerous dogs are registered in Virginia. The bill requires an animal control officer, instead of the State Veterinarian, to post dangerous dog registration information on the registry website. Currently, the animal control officer provides a copy of the registration certificate and verification of compliance of the owner with the registration procedures to the State Veterinarian. The owner of an animal found to be a dangerous dog has to obtain a registration certificate from the local animal control officer or treasurer with 45 days. The current law requires the owner to obtain a certificate within 10 days. The fee for the certificate is increased from $50 to $150. By January 31 of each year, the certificate has to be updated and renewed by the owner at a fee of $85. A portion of the fees collected shall go to the State Veterinarian to maintain the registry. (link)
VFHS POSITION: WILLING TO SUPPORT
* VFHS initially opposed HB537, but is willing to support if the 45 days is reduced

HB888: (Patron Alexander) Anti-Tethering. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is requesting your organization’s position on House Bill 888 (Patron Alexander) pertaining to regulating the tethering of companion animals by local ordinance. This position will be communicated to the Secretariat of Agriculture and Forestry and the Governor’s Office. link
VFHS POSITION: SUPPORTS

HB143: (Patron Englin) Spay Day. Designates February 28 as Spay Day in Virginia link
VFHS POSITION: SUPPORTS

HB695: (Patron Plum) Penning of fox and coyote; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to erect or maintain an enclosure for the purpose of pursuing, hunting, or killing or attempting to pursue, hunt, or kill a fox or coyote with dogs. It is also a Class 1 misdemeanor to pursue, hunt, or kill or attempt to pursue, hunt, or kill a fox or coyote within such an enclosure with dogs. link
VFHS POSITION: SUPPORTS

SB610: (Patron LeMunyon) Regulation of care and handling of agricultural animals. Provides that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services occupies the entire field of regulation of the care and handling of agricultural animals and that no locality or humane society shall do so. The bill also defines several terms relating to agricultural animals. link
VFHS POSITION: OPPOSES
* Here are a couple of excerpts:
1. Agricultural animal" or "livestock" means any domestic animal raised, herded, or farmed as an agricultural product or associated with agriculture, including equids, cows, calves, yearlings, bulls, oxen, sheep, goats, lambs, kids, hogs, pigs, poultry, gamefowl, fowl, hunting dogs, working dogs, and show dogs.
2. No political subdivision, locality, or humane society shall regulate the care and handling of agricultural animals.

HB1242 (very much like SB477)
(Patron Peace) Dangerous wild animals. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to privately possess, sell, transfer, or breed dangerous wild animals, which are identified by taxonomic classification. The bill would grandfather in the ownership of any existing lawful dangerous wild animals; however, the owner of such animals is required to meet certain conditions in order to maintain possession of the animals. The bill limits the possession of dangerous wild animals to certain types of entities and facilities. The legislation sets out the procedures to be followed in the impoundment and forfeiture of dangerous wild animals. link
VFHS POSITION: SUPPORTS

HB95: (Patron Wilt) Bear hound training. Allows the training of dogs to hunt bears to occur at night. Currently, the training of dogs to hunt bears is limited to one-half hour before sunrise until four and one-half hours after sunset. link
VFHS POSITION: OPPOSES

HB311: (Crockett-Stark) Open season for hunting bear. Provides that when the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries establishes an open season for the hunting of bear any legal hunting method, including the use of dogs, may be used for the entire season. link
VFHS POSITION: OPPOSES

HB342: (Patron Wilt) Designation of a person authorized to kill deer or bear damaging property. Permits a landowner or lessee whose property may be damaged by deer or bear to request that another person or persons be designated to kill such animals upon any written authorization to kill deer or bear that may be granted. The legislation instructs the Director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to establish a website where a landowner may register property and establish hunting conditions and where a person may apply on a first-come, first-served basis to be designated on a written authorization to kill deer or bear damaging the property. The Director is required to pay the landowner at least half of the fee charged to the designated person.
VFHS POSITION: OPPOSES