As VFHS learns of animal welfare bills being introduced during the 2010 General Assembly Session, information will be posted here. Where VFHS has determined to take a position on any pending bills, that information will be provided as well.

For full text of each bill and current status, please click on the bill title.

HB 140  Animal cruelty; narrows exemption penalties available to owner of dog or cat. >

Summary as introduced: Cruelty to Animals. Narrows the exemption to animal cruelty penalties available to the owner of a dog or cat when his dog or cat is attacked on his property by a dog. Currently, that exemption allows the owner of the injured dog or cat to use all reasonable and necessary force against the attacking dog. The amendment clarifies that "attack" shall only be construed to mean an actual injury or death has occurred to an owner's dog or cat, and not the mere threat thereof.

VFHS supports this bill.

STATUS: Reported from Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources; read first time by House; referred to Committee for Courts of Justice; left in Committee (failed).

HB 239  Animal control officers; county management form of government. >

Summary as introduced: Animal control officers; county manager form of government. Requires that the division of police in localities using the county manager form of government, currently only Henrico County, have an animal protection police officer and at least one deputy animal protection police officer. These officers shall have all of the powers vested in law-enforcement officers as defined in § 9.1-101, provided they have met the minimum qualifications and have been certified under §§ 15.2-1705 and 15.2-1706.

VFHS supports this bill.

STATUS: Engrossed by House with Committee amendment; PASSED House; referred to Senate Committee on Local Government; reported from Committee; PASSED Senate.

HB 281  Animal cruelty; penalty. >

Summary as introduced: Animal cruelty; penalty. Increases penalties applicable to violations of animal cruelty laws. The penalty for a violation of the minimum standards of animal care is increased from a Class 4 to a Class 2 misdemeanor. The penalty for abandoning an animal is increased from a Class 3 to a Class 2 misdemeanor. The penalty for animal cruelty remains a Class 1 misdemeanor, but will require a mandatory minimum of five days in jail and a prohibition on the possession and ownership of companion animals. The civil penalty for failing to sterilize a dog or cat from a releasing agency will increase from $50 to $250.

VFHS supports this bill.

STATUS: Engrossed by House with floor substitute; PASSED House; referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources; reported from Committee with substitute; engrossed by Senate with Committee substitute; PASSED Senate; Senate substitute agreed to by House.

HB 285  Protective orders; companion animals. >

Summary as introduced: Protective orders; companion animals. Provides that a court may include in a protective order provisions prohibiting harm to a companion animal owned, possessed, leased, kept or held by the petitioner, or his family or household members, when the harm to the companion animal is with the intent to threaten, coerce, intimidate, or harm the petitioner or his family or household members.

VFHS supports this bill.

STATUS: Continued to 2011 in Committee for Courts of Justice by voice vote.

HB 322  Animal care; rabies vaccination. >

Summary as introduced: Animal care; rabies vaccination. Exempts the owner of a dog or cat from having his animal vaccinated for rabies if the veterinarian determines that the dog or cat has an underlying medical condition that is likely to result in a life-threatening condition in response to the vaccination.

VFHS supports this bill.

STATUS: Engrossed by House with Committee substitute; PASSED House; referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources; reported from Committee; PASSED Senate; enrolled, signed by House Speaker and Senate President.

HB 366  Rabies certificates. >

Summary as introduced: Rabies certificates. Requires veterinarians to forward copies of rabies vaccination certificates to the treasurer of the locality where the animal resides on a standardized form developed by the State Veterinarian. Currently, veterinarians are not required to use a standard form and transmit the information to the treasurer of the locality where the vaccination occurs.

VFHS takes no position on this bill.

STATUS: Passed by indefinitely in Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by voice vote.

HB 429  Animal welfare; disposition of animals in county or city pounds. >

Summary as introduced: Animal welfare; disposition of animals in county or city pounds. Prohibits city or county pounds from euthanizing, or prohibiting the adoption of, any dog based solely on breed.

VFHS supports this bill.

STATUS: Left in Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (failed).

HB 551/ SB 249 Animal care; transport; regulations. > (click here for Senate version of bill)

Summary as introduced: Animal care; transport; regulations. Requires the adoption of regulations that permit the non-commercial, intrastate transportation of animals by law-enforcement officers, animal control officers, and releasing agencies by vehicles that are not enclosed, provided that (i) the primary enclosure is affixed to the vehicle; (ii) the primary enclosure is compliant with specifications set out in the federal Animal Welfare regulations; (iii) the duration of transport does not exceed two hours; and (iv) the animal is protected from the elements during transport.

VFHS opposes these bills.

STATUS: SB 249 PASSED Senate, read first time in House and referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources; continued to 2011 in Committee by voice vote. 

HB 551 left in Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources.

HB 621  Rabies; clarifies procedures and responsibilities to prevent and control. >

Summary as introduced: Rabies regulation and control; penalty. Clarifies the procedures and responsibilities among the Department of Health, localities, and other entities to prevent and control rabies. The changes detail: the authority to access rabies certificates maintained at veterinary hospitals in response to a potential exposure; recordkeeping standards for rabies clinics; the authority of the local health director in regard to a rabies exposure; and the circumstances under which a person might be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor for withholding information about a potentially rabid animal.

VFHS opposes this bill for the reason that "domesticated cat" is proposed to be taken out of the existing language of § 3.2-6521.

STATUS: Engrossed by House with Committee substitute; PASSED House; engrossed by Senate with Committee amendments; PASSED Senate; adopted by House with Senate amendments.

HB 884  Animal welfare laws; sheriffs & police chiefs designate & utilize volunteer deputies to enforce. >

Summary as introduced: Animal welfare laws; special deputies. Authorizes sheriffs and police chiefs to designate and utilize volunteer deputies for the enforcement of this chapter, all ordinances enacted pursuant to this chapter, and all laws for the protection of domestic animals.

VFHS opposes this bill.

STATUS: Left in Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (failed).

HB 904  Animal control officers; increased penalty for obstruction. >

Summary as introduced: Animal control officers; obstruction. Clarifies the role of animal control officers in light of two changes made to criminal procedure statutes during the 2009 Session of the General Assembly. First, the provision in Title 3.2 is conformed with existing Title 18.2 to show that the heightened penalty for obstructing an animal control officer in the performance of his duties was increased from a Class 4 misdemeanor to a Class 1 misdemeanor. Second, Title 19.2 is amended to show that animal control officers may obtain a felony warrant from a magistrate, as stated in § 3.2-6555, although a law-enforcement officer must execute such warrant.

VFHS supports this bill.

STATUS: Engrossed by House with Committee amendment; PASSED House; referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources; reported from Committee; PASSED Senate; enrolled; signed by House Speaker and Senate President.

HB 1056  Animal control officers; clarifies duties and responsibilities. >

Summary as introduced: Animal control officers. Clarifies the duties and responsibilities of animal control officers, who shall be sworn law-enforcement officers with jurisdiction over animal control and protection laws. All sheriffs, police officers, conservation police officers, or other peace officers of the Commonwealth shall be ex officio animal control officers. When in uniform or upon displaying a badge or other credentials of office, animal control officers and deputy animal control officers shall have the power to issue a summons or obtain and execute a search warrant or a felony warrant as necessary. Currently, felony warrants must be executed by police officers. Localities must notify the State Veterinarian within 30 days of any change in the employment and training status of the animal control officers employed by the locality. Such reporting does not currently need to be done within a specific timeframe.

VFHS supports this bill.

STATUS: Continued to 2011 in Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by voice vote.

HB 1143/ SB 648  Humane investigators; allows appointment of. > (click here for Senate version of bill)

Summary as introduced: Humane investigators. Allows the appointment of new humane investigators. Currently, existing humane investigators may be reappointed, but the program is no longer open to new participants. The administrative entity that oversees animal control will be required to (i) supervise humane investigators and (ii) maintain and annually update a list of persons eligible for appointment as humane investigators. Circuit courts that appoint a humane investigator must notify the administrative entity that oversees animal control in the locality where the humane investigator serves if a humane investigator's term expires and he is not appointed to a succeeding term before or within 30 days.

VFHS takes no position on these bills.

STATUS: SB 648 stricken at request of Patron. HB 1143 continued to 2011 in Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by voice vote.

HB 1145  Veterinarians; requires veterinarian to report. >

Summary as introduced: Veterinarians; reporting suspected animal cruelty. Requires any veterinarian who, in his professional capacity, believes or has reason to believe that an animal has been subjected to animal cruelty to immediately report the matter to an animal control officer, law-enforcement officer, or representative of the State Veterinarian. This bill provides that any veterinarian who in good faith makes a report pursuant to this section shall not be liable for civil damages resulting from the report.

VFHS supports this bill.

STATUS: Engrossed by House with Committee substitute; PASSED House; engrossed by Senate with Committee amendments; PASSED Senate; adopted by House with Senate amendments.

SB 251  Dangerous and vicious dogs. >

Summary as introduced: Dangerous and vicious dogs. Expands the definition of a dangerous dog to include a dog that has, without provocation, attempted to bite, attack, or inflict injury, or reasonably induce fear in the mind of the person that an attempt to bite, attack, or inflict injury on such person is imminent.

VFHS opposes this bill.

STATUS: Defeated in committee.

SB 274  Animal control records. >

Summary as introduced: Animal control records. Exempts from release to the public the name and address of the owner of an animal that has been taken into custody by animal control officers, law-enforcement officers, humane investigators, or any pound or shelter.

VFHS takes no position on this bill.

STATUS: Left in Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (failed).

SB 570  Ownership of primates; penalty. >

Summary as introduced: Ownership of primates; penalty. Prohibits any person from acquiring a non-human primate, which includes gorillas, apes, chimpanzees, orangutans, and monkeys. The ownership of primates by zoos, nature centers, museums, registered exhibitors and laboratories, parks, and research facilities is exempted from the prohibition. Persons who currently own primates must register with animal control. An initial violation of the provision is a Class 3 misdemeanor and any subsequent violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

VFHS supports this bill.

STATUS: Left in Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (failed).

SB 641  Rabies vaccination certificates; removes responsibility from treasurer. >

Summary as introduced: Rabies vaccination certificates; responsibilities of treasurer. Removes the responsibility of the local treasurer for transmitting dog license applications to residents of the locality who have vaccinated their dog for rabies but failed to apply for a dog license.

VFHS takes no position on this bill.

STATUS: Passed by indefinitely in Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources.

Last updated: 3/10/10