§ 14-7. Cruelty to animals; penalty.  


Latest version.
  • (a)

    Any person who:

    (1)

    Overrides, overdrives, overloads, tortures, ill treats, abandons, willfully inflicts inhumane injury or pain not connected with bona fide scientific or medical experimentation, or cruelly or unnecessarily beats, maims, mutilates, or kills any animal, whether belonging to himself or another;

    (2)

    Deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, food, drink or shelter;

    (3)

    Willfully sets on foot, instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any animal;

    (4)

    Carries or causes to be carried in or upon any vehicle, vessel or otherwise any animal in a cruel, brutal, or inhumane manner, so as to produce torture or unnecessary suffering; or

    (5)

    Causes any of the above things, or being the owner of such animal permits such acts to be done by another, shall be guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor. Prosecution for violations of this subsection shall commence within five years after commission of the offense. Prosecutions of this subsection regarding agricultural animals, as defined in Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.66, shall commence within one year after commission of the offense.

    (b)

    Any person who abandons any dog, cat or other domesticated animal in any public place including the right-of-way of any public highway, road or street or on the property of another shall be guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor.

    (c)

    Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the dehorning of cattle.

    (d)

    For the purposes of this section, the word "animal" shall be construed to include birds and fowl.

    (Code 1977, § 4-7)

    Cross reference— Offenses and miscellaneous provisions, ch. 38.

    State Law reference— Similar provisions, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.122; ordinances prohibiting cruelty to animals, Code of Virginia, § 15.1-29.1:1; town may prevent cruelty to animals, Code of Virginia, § 15.1-870; offenses involving animals, penalties, Code of Virginia, § 18.2-403.1.

(Code 1977, § 4-7)

State law reference

Similar provisions, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.122; ordinances prohibiting cruelty to animals, Code of Virginia, § 15.1-29.1:1; town may prevent cruelty to animals, Code of Virginia, § 15.1-870; offenses involving animals, penalties, Code of Virginia, § 18.2-403.1.

Cross reference

Offenses and miscellaneous provisions, ch. 38.