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PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

Pursuant to the Code of Virginia, the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors will conduct a Public
Hearing on Tuesday, February 5, 2013 beginning at 8:00 p.m. in the Colonial Courthouse, 6504 Main
Street Gloucester, Virginia to consider the following:


                          AN ORDINANCE AMENDING GLOUCESTER
                       COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 3 – ANIMALS AND FOWL

The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors has been made aware that amendments to Chapter 3
are deemed appropriate due to recent changes to State law. The Board will hold a public hearing to
hear public comment concerning the proposed amendment of Chapter 3 at its meeting of Tuesday,
February 5, 2013.

The proposed amendments to Chapter 3 include: adding the definition of farming activity to Section
3-2; amending Section 3-15 (care of companion animals; penalties); adding Section 3-15.1 (care of
agricultural animals; penalties); and amending Section 3-19 (seizure and impoundment of animals),
Section 3-38 (dangerous and vicious dogs), and Article III (Rabies Control) to reflect recent State law
changes, and to more closely track the language of State enabling legislation.

A complete copy of documents concerning this matter is available and may be reviewed at the
Gloucester County Administrator’s office at 6467 Main Street, Gloucester, Virginia, on the web at
www.gloucesterva.info and at both branches of the Gloucester County Library - Main Branch: 6920
Main Street, Gloucester, Virginia - Gloucester Point Branch: 2354 York Crossing Drive, Gloucester
Point, Virginia.

All interested parties are invited to attend the hearing to express their views. Persons requiring
assistance to attend the hearing should contact the Gloucester County Administrator’s office at (804)
693-4042.


                                         Brenda G. Garton
                                         County Administrator
AT A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF
GLOUCESTER COUNTY, VIRGINIA, HELD ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5,
2013, AT 8:00 P. M., AT THE COLONIAL COURTHOUSE, 6504 MAIN
STREET, GLOUCESTER, VIRGINIA:           ON A MOTION MADE BY
_______________, AND SECONDED BY ____________________, THE FOLLOWING
ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
                               Carter M. Borden, ___;
                               Ashley C. Chriscoe, ___;
                               Christopher A. Hutson, ___;
                               Andrew James, Jr., ___;
                               John H. Northstein, ___;
                               Robert J. Orth, ___;
                               Louise D. Theberge, ___;


                AN ORDINANCE AMENDING GLOUCESTER
             COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 3 – ANIMALS AND FOWL

      WHEREAS, the provisions of Gloucester County’s Code governing animal
welfare and control are contained in Gloucester County Code Chapter 3; and

       WHEREAS, recent changes to State law make appropriate amendments
to Chapter 3. The proposed amendments include: adding the definition of
farming activity to Section 3-2; amending Section 3-15 (care of companion
animals); adding Section 3-15.1 (care of agricultural animals; penalties); and
amending Section 3-19 (seizure and impoundment of animals), Section 3-38
(dangerous and vicious dogs), and Article III (Rabies Control), to reflect recent
State law changes, and to more closely track the language of State enabling
legislation; and

     WHEREAS, a duly advertised public hearing was held on February 5,
2013 to receive public comment regarding the proposed amendments to
Gloucester County Code Chapter 3 – Animals and Fowl; and

      WHEREAS, the Board finds that the amendments are appropriate and is
desirous of amending Chapter 3 of the Gloucester County Code, in accordance
with the provisions which follow.

     NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED AND ENACTED that the
Gloucester County Code Chapter 3 – Animal Welfare and Control, is hereby
amended as follows:

         Chapter 3 ANIMALS AND FOWL WELFARE AND CONTROL

                                    Article I. In General
§ 3-1. Penalty for violation of Article I.
§ 3-2. Definitions.
§ 3-3. Duties and authority of animal control officers.
§ 3-4. Animals and fowl prohibited to be at large upon, or to
graze alongside of, any
         public street or highway.
§ 3-5. Property line constitutes lawful fence as to certain
animals.
§ 3-6. When unlawful for animals to run at large.
§ 3-7. Maintenance of animals and fowl.
§ 3-8. Prohibition of keeping or exhibiting wild, exotic,
         venomous, or poisonous animals within the County of
         Gloucester.
§ 3-9. Infectious or contagious diseases among animals and
poultry; duty of owners
         and custodians; procedure for establishing quarantine.
§ 3-10. Same--Transporting or conveying custody or possession of
animal or fowl
         exposed to disease.
§ 3-11. Notification by individuals finding companion animals.
§ 3-12. Releasing agencies registration required.
§ 3-13. Cruelty to animals.
§ 3-14. Use of fireworks causing injury to animals.
§ 3-15. Failure to perform duties of ownership; Care of
         companion animals; penalty.
§ 3-15.1     Care of agricultural animals; penalty
§ 3-15.12. Abandonment of animals.
§ 3-16. Allowing animals to defecate on public property or on
private property of other
         persons.
§ 3-17. Animals riding in open vehicles.
§ 3-18. Animals in enclosed vehicles.
§ 3-19. Seizure and impoundment of animals.
§ 3-20. Impoundment and redemption of livestock found at large.
§ 3-21. Casting carcass in road; disposition of carcasses.
§ 3-22. Bird sanctuaries.
§ 3-23--3-27. Reserved.
                            Article II. Dogs
                        Division 1. Generally
§ 3-28. Animal control officer and deputies to enforce article and
        applicable provisions of state dog laws.
§ 3-29. Penalty for violation of Article II.
§ 3-30. License required; unlicensed dogs prohibited.
§ 3-31. Amount of license tax, kennel tax; exemptions.
§ 3-32. When license tax due and payable.
§ 3-33. Certification of inoculation or vaccination prerequisite for
issuance of license.
§ 3-34. Issuance and design of license tag; required wearing of
tag.
§ 3-35. Payment of license tax subsequent to summons.
§ 3-36. Effect of dog not wearing collar bearing metal license tag
as evidence.
§ 3-37. Impoundment and redemption of dogs found at large
        without metal license tag.
§ 3-38. Dangerous and vicious dogs.
§ 3-39. Nuisance animals.
§§ 3-40--3-45. Reserved.

         Division 2. Dogs Running at Large in Certain Areas

§ 3-46. Running at large--Prohibited in regulated areas.
§ 3-47. Official schedule of restricted areas for dogs running at
large.
§ 3-48. Reserved.

              Division 3. Commercial Dog Breeding Operations

§   3-48.1.      Business license required.
§   3-48.2.      Commercial dog breeding; requirements.
§   3-48.3.      Right of entry.
§   3-48.4.      Concurrent operation of releasing agency prohibited.
§   3-48.5.      Penalty.

§§ 3-49--3-50. Reserved.
                    Article III. Rabies Control

§ 3-51. Vaccination or inoculation against rabies required.
§ 3-52. Certificate of inoculation or vaccination to be issued.
§ 3-53. Emergency ordinance requiring confinement or restraint of
        dogs and cats when rabid animal at large.
§ 3-54. Report of existence of rabid animals.
             § 3-55. Reporting of animal bites.
             § 3-56. Confinement or destruction of dogs, cats, or any other
                     animals showing signs of or suspected of having rabies.
             § 3-57. Destruction or confinement of dog, cat, or any other
             animal bitten by a rabid
                     animal.
             § 3-58. Confinement or destruction of animal which has bitten
             may have exposed a person.
             § 3-59. Concealing or harboring an animal to prevent its
             destruction or confinement
                     under article.
             § 3-60. Penalty for violation of Article III.

                             ARTICLE I. IN GENERAL

Sec. 3-1. Penalty for violation of Article I.

Unless otherwise specified, a violation of this article shall be deemed a Class 3
misdemeanor and a warrant for the violation may be obtained by an animal
control officer or sheriff's deputy.

Sec. 3-2. Definitions.

The following words as used in this chapter shall have the following meanings:

Abandon means to desert, forsake, or absolutely give up an animal without
having secured another owner or custodian for the animal or by failing to
provide the elements of basic care as set forth in sections 3-15 or 3-15.1 for a
period of five (5) consecutive days.

Adequate care or care means the responsible practice of good animal
husbandry, handling, production, management, confinement, feeding,
watering, protection, shelter, transportation, treatment, and when necessary,
euthanasia, appropriate for the age, species, condition, size and type of the
animal and the provision of veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering or
impairment of health.

Adequate exercise or exercise means the opportunity for the animal to move
sufficiently to maintain normal muscle tone and mass for the age, species, size
and condition of the animal.

Adequate feed means access to and the provision of food that is of sufficient
quantity and nutritive value to maintain each animal in good health; is
accessible to each animal; is prepared so as to permit ease of consumption for
the age, species, condition, size and type of each animal; is provided in a clean
and sanitary manner; is placed so as to minimize contamination by excrement
and pests; and is provided at suitable intervals for the species, age and
condition of the animal, but at least once daily, except as prescribed by a
veterinarian or as dictated by naturally occurring states of hibernation or
fasting normal for the species.

Adequate shelter means provision of and access to shelter that is suitable for
the species, age, condition, size and type of each animal; provides adequate
space for each animal; is safe and protects each animal from injury, rain, sleet,
snow, hail, direct sunlight, the adverse effects of heat or cold, physical
suffering and impairment of health; is properly lighted; is properly cleaned;
enables each animal to be clean and dry, except when detrimental to the
species; and for dogs and cats, provides a solid surface, resting platform, pad,
floormat, or similar device that is large enough for the animal to lie on in a
normal manner and can be maintained in a sanitary manner. Under this
chapter, shelters whose wire, grid or slat floors:

      (1)   Permit the animals' feet to pass through the openings;

      (2)   Sag under the animals' weight; or

      (3)   Otherwise do not protect the animals' feet or toes from injury, are
      not adequate shelter.

Adequate space means sufficient space to allow each animal to:

      (1) Easily stand, sit, lie, turn about, and make all other normal body
      movements in a comfortable, normal position for the animal; and

      (2)   Interact safely with other animals in the enclosure.

      When an animal is tethered, "adequate space" means a tether that
      permits the above actions and is appropriate to the age and size of the
      animal; is attached to the animal by a properly applied collar, halter, or
      harness configured so as to protect the animal from injury and prevent
      the animal or tether from becoming entangled with other objects or
      animals, or from extending over an object or edge that could result in the
      strangulation or injury of the animal; and is at least three (3) times the
      length of the animal, as measured from the tip of its nose to the base of
      its tail, except when the animal is being walked on a leash or is attached
      by a tether to a lead line. When freedom of movement would endanger
      the animal, temporarily and appropriately restricting movement of the
animal, according to professionally accepted standards for the species, is
      considered provision of adequate space.

Adequate water means provision of and access to clean, fresh, potable water of
a drinkable temperature that is provided in a suitable manner, in sufficient
volume, and at suitable intervals, appropriate for the weather and temperature,
to maintain normal hydration for the age, species, condition, size, and type of
each animal, except as prescribed by a veterinarian or as dictated by naturally
occurring states of hibernation or fasting normal for the species; and is
provided in clean, durable receptacles that are accessible to each animal and
are placed so as to minimize contamination of the water by excrement and
pests or an alternative source of hydration consistent with generally accepted
husbandry practices.

Adoption means the transfer of ownership of a dog or a cat, or any other
companion animal, from a releasing agency to an individual.

Agricultural animals mean all livestock and poultry.

Ambient temperature means the temperature surrounding the animal.

Animal means any nonhuman vertebrate species except fish. For the purposes
of Article III, animal means any species susceptible to rabies. For the purposes
of section 3-13, animal means any nonhuman vertebrate species including
fish, except those fish captured and killed or disposed of in a reasonable and
customary manner.

Animal control officer means a person appointed as an animal control officer or
deputy animal control officer.

Animal shelter means a facility, other than a private residential dwelling and its
surrounding grounds, that is used to house or contain animals and that is
owned, operated, or maintained by a nongovernmental entity including, but not
limited to, a humane society, animal welfare organization, society for the
prevention of cruelty to animals, or any other organization operating for the
purpose of finding permanent adoptive homes for animals.

Boarding establishment means a place or establishment other than a pound or
animal shelter where companion animals not owned by the proprietor are
sheltered, fed, and watered in exchange for a fee.

Collar means a well-fitted device, appropriate to the age and size of the animal,
attached to the animal's neck in such a way as to prevent trauma or injury to
the animal.
Commercial dog breeder means any person who, during any twelve-month
period, maintains thirty (30) or more adult female dogs for the primary purpose
of the sale of their offspring as companion animals.

Companion animal means any domestic or feral dog, domestic or feral cat,
nonhuman primate, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit not raised for human food or
fiber, exotic or native animal, reptile, exotic or native bird, or any feral animal
or any animal under the care, custody, or ownership of a person or any animal
that is bought, sold, traded, or bartered by any person. Agricultural animals,
game species, or any animals regulated under federal law as research animals
shall not be considered companion animals for the purposes of this chapter.

Consumer means any natural person purchasing an animal from a dealer or
pet shop or hiring the services of a boarding establishment. The term
"consumer" shall not include a business or corporation engaged in sales or
services.

Dangerous dog means a canine or canine crossbreed that has bitten, attacked,
or inflicted injury on a person or companion animal that is a dog or cat, or
killed a companion animal that is a dog or cat. However, when a dog attacks or
bites a companion animal that is a dog or cat, the attacking or biting dog shall
not be deemed dangerous:

      (1)   If no serious physical injury as determined by a licensed
      veterinarian has occurred to the dog or cat as a result of the attack or
      bite;

      (2)   If both animals are owned by the same person;

      (3)   If such attack occurs on the property of the attacking or biting
      dog's owner or custodian; or

      (4)   For other good cause as determined by the court.

No dog shall be found to be a dangerous dog as a result of biting, attacking, or
inflicting injury on a dog or cat while engaged with an owner or custodian as
part of lawful hunting or participating in an organized, lawful dog-handling
event. No dog that has bitten, attacked, or inflicted injury on a person shall be
found to be a dangerous dog if the court determines, based on the totality of
the evidence before it, that the dog is not dangerous or a threat to the
community.
Dealer means any person who, in the regular course of business for
compensation or profit, buys, sells, transfers, exchanges, or barters companion
animals. The following shall not be considered dealers:

      (1)   Any person who transports companion animals in the regular
      course of business as a common carrier; or

      (2)  Any person or organization whose primary purpose is to find
      permanent adoptive homes for companion animals.

Direct and immediate threat means any clear and imminent danger to an
animal's health, safety, or life.

Dump means to knowingly desert, forsake, or absolutely give up without having
secured another owner or custodian any dog, cat, or other companion animal
in any public place including the right-of-way of any public highway, road,
street, or on the property of another.

Emergency veterinary treatment means veterinary treatment to stabilize a life-
threatening condition, alleviate suffering, prevent further disease transmission,
or prevent further disease progression.

Enclosure means a structure used to house or restrict animals from running at
large.

Euthanasia means the humane destruction of an animal accomplished by a
method that involves instantaneous unconsciousness and immediate death, or
by a method that involves anesthesia, produced by an agent that causes
painless loss of consciousness and death during such loss of consciousness.

Exhibitor means any person who has animals for or on public display,
excluding an exhibitor licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Exotic animal means any live monkey (nonhuman primate), raccoon, skunk,
wolf, wolf-canine hybrid, squirrel, fox, and other nondomesticated porcine,
leopard, tiger, lion, panther, or any other similar warm-blooded animal,
venomous reptile to include, but not limited to: coral snakes, rattlesnakes,
cottonmouth snakes, vipers and cobras, sea snakes, gila monsters, mexican
beaded lizards, or nonvenomous reptiles six (6) feet or longer in length which
can normally be found in the wild; all constrictor-type snakes, poisonous
arachnids to include, but not limited to: black widow spiders, brown recluse
spiders, scorpions, poisonous amphibians to include, but not limited to: poison
arrow frogs or any member of the crocodilian family including, but not limited
to: alligators, crocodiles, caimans, and gavials; or any other animal that would
require a standard of care and control greater than that required for customary
household pets sold by commercial pet shops or domestic farm animals.
Ferrets and birds which are normally purchased through pet stores,
nonpoisonous reptiles less than six (6) feet in length, domestic rabbits,
domestic rodents which have been bred in captivity and have not been kept in
the wild, shall be excluded from the definitions of wild and exotic animals.

Facility means a building or portion thereof as designated by the state
veterinarian, other than a private residential dwelling and its surrounding
grounds, that is used to contain a primary enclosure or enclosures in which
animals are housed or kept.

Farming activity means, consistent with standard animal husbandry
practices, the raising, management, and use of agricultural animals to
provide food, fiber, or transportation and the breeding, exhibition, lawful
recreational use, marketing, transportation, and slaughter of agricultural
animals pursuant to such purposes.

Foster care provider means an individual who provides care or rehabilitation for
companion animals through an affiliation with a pound, animal shelter, or
other releasing agency.

Foster home means a private residential dwelling and its surrounding grounds
where, through an affiliation with a pound, animal shelter, or other releasing
agency, care or rehabilitation is provided for companion animals.

Groomer means any person who, for a fee, cleans, trims, brushes, makes neat,
manicures, or treats for external parasites any animal.

Health director means an employee of the Virginia Department of Health with
authority to enforce the regulations promulgated by the State Board of Health.

Home-based rescue means any person or organization that accepts:

      (1)   More than twelve (12) companion animals; or

      (2)   More than nine (9) companion animals and more than three (3)
      unweaned litters of companion animals in a calendar year for the
      purpose of finding permanent adoptive homes for the companion animals
      and houses the companion animals in a private residential dwelling or
      uses a system of housing companion animals in private residential foster
      homes.

Humane means any action taken in consideration of, and with the intent to,
provide for the animal's health and well-being.
Humane investigator means a person who has been appointed by a circuit
court as a humane investigator as provided in section 3.2-6558 of the Code of
Virginia.

Humane society means any incorporated, nonprofit organization that is
organized for the purposes of preventing cruelty to animals and promoting
humane care and treatment or adoption of animals.

Kennel means any establishment in which five (5) or more canines, felines, or
hybrids of either, are kept for the purpose of breeding, hunting, training,
renting, buying, boarding, selling, or showing.

Livestock includes all domestic or domesticated: bovine animals; equine
animals; ovine animals; porcine animals; cervidae animals; capradae animals;
animals of the genus Lama; ratites; fish or shellfish in aquaculture facilities, as
defined in section 3.2-2600 of the Code of Virginia; enclosed domesticated
rabbits or hares raised for human food or fiber; or any other individual animal
specifically raised for food or fiber, except companion animals.

Local ordinance means any law, rule, regulation, or ordinance promulgated by
the governing body of the county.

Locality or local government means a county, city or town, as the context may
require.

New owner means an individual who is legally competent to enter into a
binding agreement pursuant to subdivision B2 of section 3.2-6574 of the Code
of Virginia, and who adopts or receives a dog or cat from a releasing agency.

Owner means any person who:

      (1)   Has a right of property in an animal;

      (2)   Keeps or harbors an animal;

      (3)   Has an animal in his care; or

      (4)   Acts as a custodian of an animal.

Person means any individual, partnership, firm, joint-stock             company,
corporation, association, trust, estate, or other legal entity.

Pet shop means an establishment where companion animals are bought, sold,
exchanged, or offered for sale or exchange to the general public.
Poisonous and/or venomous animal shall mean any animal, fowl, reptile or
amphibian that causes injury, illness or death by chemical means.

Poultry includes all domestic fowl and game birds raised in captivity.

Pound means a facility operated by the commonwealth or any locality,
including Gloucester County, for the purpose of impounding or harboring
seized, stray, homeless, abandoned, or unwanted animals; or a facility operated
for the same purpose under a contract with any locality or incorporated society
for the prevention of cruelty to animals.

Primary enclosure means any structure used to immediately restrict an animal
or animals to a limited amount of space, such as a room, pen, cage,
compartment, or hutch. For tethered animals, the term includes the shelter
and the area within reach of the tether.

Properly cleaned means:

      (1)  That carcasses, debris, food waste and excrement are removed
      from the primary enclosure with sufficient frequency to minimize the
      animals' contact with the above-mentioned contaminants;

      (2)  The primary enclosure is sanitized with sufficient frequency to
      minimize odors and the hazards of disease; and

      (3)    The primary enclosure is cleaned so as to prevent the animals
      confined therein from being directly or indirectly sprayed with the stream
      of water, or directly or indirectly exposed to hazardous chemicals or
      disinfectants.

Properly lighted, when referring to a facility, means sufficient illumination to
permit routine inspections, maintenance, cleaning, and housekeeping of the
facility, and observation of the animals; to provide regular diurnal lighting
cycles of either natural or artificial light, uniformly diffused throughout the
facility; and to promote the well-being of the animals.

Properly lighted, when referring to a private residential dwelling and its
surrounding grounds, means sufficient illumination to permit routine
maintenance and cleaning thereof, and observation of the companion animals;
and to provide regular diurnal lighting cycles of either natural or artificial light
to promote the well-being of the animals.

Releasing agency means a pound, 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.

Research facility means any place, laboratory, or institution licensed by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture at which scientific tests, experiments or
investigations involving the use of living animals are carried out, conducted, or
attempted.

Sanitize means to make physically clean and to remove and destroy, to a
practical minimum, agents injurious to health.

Sore means, when referring to an equine, that an irritating or blistering agent
has been applied, internally or externally, by a person to any limb or foot of an
equine; any burn, cut, or laceration that has been inflicted by a person to any
limb or foot of an equine; any tack, nail, screw, or chemical agent that has
been injected by a person into or used by a person on any limb or foot of an
equine; any other substance or device that has been used by a person on any
limb or foot of an equine; or a person has engaged in a practice involving an
equine, and as a result of such application, infliction, injection, use or practice,
such equine suffers or can reasonably be expected to suffer, physical pain or
distress, inflammation or lameness when walking, trotting, or otherwise
moving, except that such term does not include such an application, infliction,
injection, use, or practice in connection with the therapeutic treatment of an
equine by or under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. Notwithstanding
anything contained herein to the contrary, nothing shall preclude the shoeing,
use of pads, and use of action devices as permitted by 9 C.F.R., Part 11.2.

State veterinarian means the veterinarian employed by the commissioner of
agriculture and consumer services as provided in section 3.2-5901 of the Code
of Virginia.

State veterinarian's representative means any person who is either: (i) an
employee of the department of agriculture and consumer services who is under
the direction of the state veterinarian; or (ii) a veterinarian deputized pursuant
to section 3.2-5901 of the Code of Virginia.

Sterilize or sterilization means a surgical or chemical procedure performed by a
licensed veterinarian that renders a dog or cat permanently incapable of
reproducing.

Treatment or adequate treatment means the responsible handling or
transportation of animals in the person's ownership, custody or charge,
appropriate for the age, species, condition, size and type of the animal.
Veterinary treatment means treatment by or on the order of a duly licensed
veterinarian.

Vicious dog means a canine or canine crossbreed that has:

      (1)   Killed a person;

      (2)   Inflicted serious injury to a person, including multiple bites,
      serious disfigurement, serious impairment of health, or serious
      impairment of a bodily function; or

      (3)    Continued to exhibit the behavior that resulted in a previous
      finding by a court or, on or before July 1, 2006, by an animal control
      officer as authorized by local ordinance, that it is a dangerous dog,
      provided that its owner has been given notice of that finding.

Weaned means that an animal is capable of and physiologically accustomed to
ingestion of solid food or food customary for the adult of the species, and has
ingested such food, without nursing, for a period of at least five (5) days.

Wild animal means any warm-blooded animal that can normally be found in
the wild state.

Sec. 3-3. Duties and authority of animal control officers.

      (a)    By authority of the board of supervisors, the county shall employ
      an animal control officer and one (1) or more deputy animal control
      officers who shall have the power to enforce this entire chapter and all
      state laws enacted for animal control and protection.

      (b)    The animal control officer and deputy animal control officers shall
      have a working knowledge of this chapter and of animal control and
      protection laws of Virginia which they are required to enforce. When in
      uniform or upon displaying a badge or other credentials of office, the
      animal control officers and deputy animal control officers shall have the
      power to issue a summons or obtain a felony warrant as necessary,
      providing the execution of such warrant shall be carried out by any law
      enforcement officer as defined in section 9.1-101 of the Code of Virginia,
      to any person found in the act of violating any such law or any ordinance
      enacted pursuant to such law of the county in which the animal control
      officer or deputy animal control officer is appointed.

      (c)   Whenever the term "animal control officer" is used in this chapter,
      it shall mean the animal control officer appointed and employed
pursuant to this section or any duly employed deputy animal control
      officer.

      (d)   Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the issuance
      of a warrant for any violation of this chapter based upon the complaint of
      any citizen or any law enforcement officer and upon a finding of probable
      cause by an officer authorized to issue arrest warrants generally.

      (e)   Every animal control officer and deputy animal control officers
      shall complete the training required by section 3.2-6556 of the Code of
      Virginia. Such training shall include, and be completed within two (2)
      years after appointment, a basic animal control course that has been
      approved by the state veterinarian which shall include training in
      recognizing suspected child abuse and neglect and information on how
      complaints may be filed. Thereafter, all animal control officers shall
      complete such additional training as may be required by the Code of
      Virginia. The county shall submit to the state veterinarian, on a form
      provided by him, information concerning the employment and training
      status of the animal control officers employed by the county. The state
      veterinarian may require that the county notify him of any change in
      such information.

      (f)    No individual shall interfere with an animal control officer in the
      legal performance of his or her duties. This includes, but is not limited
      to, striking or attempting to strike the animal control officer; providing
      the animal control officer with false information; taking or attempting to
      take any animal from an animal control officer in the legal performance
      of his or her duties; taking or attempting to take any animal from any
      property owned or controlled by the county without proper authority or
      taking or damaging any county property used in conjunction with the
      animal control officer's duties.

      (g)    It shall be unlawful and shall constitute a Class 2 misdemeanor for
      any person to make a false statement to an animal control officer while
      in the performance of their duties conducting an investigation.

Sec. 3-4. Animals and fowl prohibited to be at large upon, or to graze alongside
of, any public street or highway.

It shall be unlawful for any person to permit any animal or fowl owned by him
or in his custody or under his control to run at large upon, or to graze
alongside, any public street or highway, whether such street or highway be
enclosed by fence or not.
Sec. 3-5. Property line constitutes lawful fence as to certain animals.

The boundary line of each lot or tract of land in this county is hereby declared
to be a lawful fence as to any horse, mule, cattle, hog, sheep, or goat, or
poultry.

Sec. 3-6. When unlawful for animals to run at large.

It shall be unlawful for the owner or custodian of any animal or type of animal
described in section 3-5 to allow said animal to run at large, as to which the
boundaries of lots or tracts of land have been or may be constituted a lawful
fence, or to allow said animal to run at large beyond the limits of the animal
owner's lands within the county, magisterial district or portion of such county
wherein such boundaries have been constituted and shall be a lawful fence.

Sec. 3-7. Maintenance of animals and fowl.

      (a)   Each stable, pen, coop, or other place where any animal or fowl is
      kept, shall be maintained at all times in a safe and sanitary condition
      and so as not to constitute a nuisance. Solid and liquid waste matter
      shall be removed therefrom not less than twice each week, and more
      frequently if necessary, to eliminate offensive odors or to prevent
      accumulations constituting a hazard to the health or safety of any
      person, animal or fowl.

      (b)  Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class 1
      misdemeanor.

Sec. 3-8. Prohibition of keeping or exhibiting wild, exotic, venomous, or
poisonous animals within the County of Gloucester.

      (a)    It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, exhibit, or permit to be
      kept or exhibited upon any property within the county limits, any wild,
      exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal without a permit from an animal
      control officer. In no case, however, shall any such wild, exotic,
      venomous, or poisonous animal(s) be exhibited, displayed, or kept in
      such a manner so as to permit said animal(s) to escape, be at large, or to
      otherwise come in direct physical contact with any person unless under
      the direct care and control of the handler. The provisions of this section
      shall not apply to:

            (1)   Institutions accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium
            Association (AZA).

            (2)   Registered nonprofit humane societies.
(3)  Animal control officers or law enforcement officers acting
      under the authority of this article.

      (4)   Veterinary hospitals or clinics.

      (5)   Any wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the state.

      (6)   Any wildlife sanctuary.

      (7)   Any licensed or accredited research or medical institution.

      (8)   Any licensed or accredited educational institution.

      (9)   Any circus, rodeo or tradeshow.

      (10) A person temporarily transporting an exotic animal through
      the county if the transit time is not more than ninety-six (96)
      hours and the animal is at all times maintained within a
      confinement sufficient to prevent the exotic animal from escaping.

(b)    The owner or custodian of any wild, exotic, venomous, or
poisonous animal shall apply to the animal control department within
ten (10) working days of obtaining an address within the county or in the
case of an exhibition, ten (10) working days prior to the exhibition, for a
permit authorizing the keeping of said animal within the county limits.
Each applicant for a wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal permit
shall, by affidavit and/or supporting written documentation, provide the
following:

      (1)   Name and street address of each owner(s)/custodian(s),
      eighteen (18) years of age or older;

      (2)   Location of animal(s) storage facility;

      (3)   The common and scientific name of the subject animal(s);

      (4)   The date of acquisition of each animal;

      (5)   The source of acquisition of each animal;

      (6)   The sex, age, height and/or length of each animal;

      (7)   Any identifying marks or numbers unique to each animal;

      (8)   A    statement     of    understanding     signed    by the
      owner(s)/custodian(s) concerning human exposures in relation to
      the current state and local laws involving rabies control;
(9)   Verifiable documentation that the animal was brought into
      the country legally. Proof the animal was purchased from a
      reputable dealer or pet store may constitute sufficient proof. The
      animal control officer has final authority in determining what
      constitutes sufficient proof;

      (10) A current veterinarian's certificate confirming the animal is
      disease free;

      (11) The current phone number and street address of
      owner(s)/custodians(s) and animal(s), if storage location differs
      from residence of owner(s)/custodian(s);

      (12) At least one (1) emergency phone number where
      owner(s)/custodian(s) can be contacted in case of emergency;

      (13) Proof the owner has a secure pen, cage or enclosure of
      sufficient size and strength to provide adequate shelter for the
      animal and to reasonably protect the public; and

      (14) Where required by section 29.1-542 of the Code of Virginia, a
      copy of the special permit from the Virginia Department of Game
      and Inland Fisheries.

(c)   The permit shall not be transferable and shall be valid through
December 31 of the year of issue and shall be renewed by January 31 of
each subsequent year. Permits for temporary exhibit shall be valid for the
time period specified in the permit. One (1) permit per address will be
required within the County of Gloucester. On the permit shall be listed
each animal held within the county limits as identified in subsection (b).
The County of Gloucester's wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal
permit shall be required in addition to any required federal or state
permits. Information supplied on such permit shall be provided to
relevant county departments as notification for public health and safety
purposes.

No permit for an exotic animal will be issued by the animal control
department unless all required special permits from the Virginia
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for wolves, coyotes, or birds or
animals otherwise classified by the commission as predatory or
undesirable have been obtained by the owner or custodian of the exotic
animal. It shall be the responsibility of the owner or custodian of the
exotic animal to provide a valid copy of the special permit to the animal
control department at the time the request for local exotic animal permit
is made.

(d)    It shall be unlawful to release, or permit to be released, any wild,
exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal(s) into the wild.

(e)   The initial fee to cover the cost of the permit issuance shall be fifty
dollars ($50.00) per address. A charge of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) will
be collected for annual permit renewal, the adding of additional animals
to an existing permit, or the duplication of an existing permit.

(f)    It shall be unlawful for any person to furnish false information for
the purpose of obtaining a permit pursuant to subsection (b). Any permit
obtained under fraudulent pretenses shall be null and void with any
animals named thereon subject to impoundment by an animal control
officer pending a determination by a court of competent jurisdiction as to
the appropriate disposition of said animal(s). Upon redemption of the
animal, the owner shall pay impoundment fees of fifty dollars ($50.00);
boarding fees of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per day; and any additional
costs for medical care or treatment.

(g)   Any person applying for a wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous
animal permit shall provide evidence of surety bond or liability insurance
or bond in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) which
covers incidences or occurrences involving the wild, exotic, venomous, or
poisonous animals.

(h)    The animal control officer or his designee may reject an application
for a wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal permit, renewal of a
permit, or the addition of an animal to an existing permit for any of the
following reasons:

      (1)  Failure to comply with or supply any information required in
      subsection (b);

      (2)   Falsification of any information required in subsection (b);

      (3)   Previous or current violations of any provisions of this
      section;

      (4)   Previous or current violations of any local, state, or federal
      law relating to animals; or

      (5)   The history or demonstration of a vicious or dangerous
      nature of an animal.
(i)    The animal control officer, or his designee, may revoke a wild,
      exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal permit and impound the
      animal(s) for any of the following reasons:

            (1)    Failure to comply with the terms of this section;

            (2)    Falsification of any information required in subsection (b); or

            (3)  Violation of any local, state or federal law applicable to
            animals.

      (j)    The permittee shall post a placard provided by the animal control
      officer in an area of public view on any premises, building or structure
      where the wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal is kept or housed.
      Failure to post the placard shall be a violation of this section.

Sec. 3-9. Infectious or contagious diseases among animals and poultry; duty of
owners and custodians; procedure for establishing quarantine.

      (a)   It shall be the duty of any person owning or having the custody of
      any animal or poultry within the county, upon ascertaining that such
      animal or fowl may be afflicted with a contagious or infectious disease, to
      forthwith give notice thereof to the health director.

      (b)   The health director, upon receipt of such notice, shall then cause
      an investigation to be made to determine whether quarantine lines
      should be established within any part of the county, and upon an
      affirmative finding, the health director shall forthwith give notice to the
      state veterinarian as to the facts determined by such investigation, for
      such action as the state veterinarian may deem appropriate under the
      provisions of sections 3.2-6000 through 3.2-6030 of the Code of Virginia.

      (c)  Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class 1
      misdemeanor.

Sec. 3-10. Same--Transporting or conveying custody or possession of animal
or fowl exposed to disease.

It shall be unlawful for any person to drive, or by any other means, to transport
beyond his own property or to sell, give away, or otherwise convey the
possession or custody of any animal or fowl, knowing or having reason to know
that such animal or fowl has, or has been exposed to, any infectious or
contagious disease; provided, that nothing in this subsection shall be
construed to prohibit the transportation of any animal or fowl to a
veterinarian's office, animal hospital, or other place for care or treatment, or to
prohibit the custody of such animal or fowl by a licensed veterinarian or other
person qualified to render care or treatment to such animal or fowl.

Sec. 3-11. Notification by individuals finding companion animals.

      (a)   Any individual who finds a companion animal and (i) provides care
      or safekeeping, or (ii) retains a companion animal in such a manner as to
      control its activities shall, within forty-eight (48) hours:

            (1)   Make a reasonable attempt to notify the owner of the
            companion animal, if the owner can be ascertained from any tag,
            license, collar, tattoo, microchip, or other form of identification or
            markings, or if the owner of the animal is otherwise known to the
            individual; and

            (2)   Notify the animal control department and inform them where
            the companion animal was found and provide contact information,
            including a name, a contact telephone number, a description of the
            animal, including information from any tag, license, collar, tattoo,
            microchip, or other identification or markings, and the location
            where the companion animal was found.

      (b)   If any individual finds a companion animal and (i) provides care or
      safekeeping, or (ii) retains a companion animal in such a manner as to
      control its activities, the individual shall comply with the provisions of
      section 3.2-6503 of the Code of Virginia and section 3-15 of this article.

      (c)   Any individual who violates this section shall be subject to a civil
      penalty not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) per companion animal.

Sec. 3-12. Releasing agencies registration required.

      (a)   All releasing agencies operating within the county shall register
      annually, not later than January 31 of each year, with the animal control
      department.

      (b)   It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a releasing agency
      that has registered as such annually with the local animal control
      department, to own a dog four (4) months old or older in the county or
      state unless such dog is licensed, as required by the provisions of this
      chapter.

Sec. 3-13. Cruelty to animals.

      (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 food, drink, shelter, or
      emergency veterinary treatment;

      (3)   Sores any equine for any purpose or administers drugs or
      medications to alter or mask such soring for the purpose of sale,
      show, or exhibition of any kind, unless such administration of
      drugs or medications is within the context of a veterinary client-
      patient relationship and solely for therapeutic purposes;

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

      (5)   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

      (6)   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.

(b)   Subsequent violations punishable as a Class 6 felony shall be
charged under section 3.2-6570(B) of the Code of Virginia.

(c)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the
dehorning of cattle conducted in a reasonable and customary manner.

(d)   For the purposes of this section the word animal shall be
construed to include birds and fowl.

(e)    This section shall not prohibit authorized wildlife management
activities or hunting, fishing, or trapping as regulated under the other
titles of the Code of Virginia including, but not limited to, Title 29.1, or to
farming activities as provided under Title 3.2 or regulations promulgated
thereunder.

(f)   In addition to the penalties provided in subsection (a), the court
may, in its discretion, require any person convicted of a violation of
subsection (a) to attend an anger management or other appropriate
treatment program or obtain psychiatric or psychological counseling. The
court may impose the costs of such a program or counseling upon the
      person convicted.

      (g)   It is unlawful for any person to kill a domestic dog or cat for the
      purpose of obtaining the hide, fur, or pelt of the dog or cat. A violation of
      this subsection shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor. A second or
      subsequent violation of this subsection shall be charged under section
      3.2-6570(E) of the Code of Virginia.

      (h)    Any person who (i) tortures, willfully inflicts inhumane injury or
      pain not connected with bona fide scientific or medical experimentation,
      or cruelly and unnecessarily beats, maims, or mutilates any dog or cat
      that is a companion animal whether belonging to him or another and (ii)
      as a direct result causes the death of such dog or cat that is a
      companion animal, or the euthanasia of such animal on the
      recommendation of a licensed veterinarian upon determination that such
      euthanasia was necessary due to the condition of the animal, punishable
      as a Class 6 felony, shall be charged under section 3.2-6570(F) of the
      Code of Virginia. If a dog or cat is attacked on its owner's property by a
      dog so as to cause injury or death, the owner of the injured dog or cat
      may use all reasonable and necessary force against the dog at the time of
      the attack to protect his dog or cat. Such owner may be presumed to
      have taken necessary and appropriate action to defend his dog or cat and
      shall therefore be presumed not to have violated this subsection.

      (i)   Any person convicted of violating this section may be prohibited by
      the court from possession or ownership of companion animals.

Sec. 3-14. Use of fireworks causing injury to animals.

It shall be unlawful to set off or use any fireworks that result in an injury to
any animal caused by direct contact with the fireworks or if the animal injured
itself from fear of the fireworks.

Sec. 3-15. Failure to perform duties of ownership. Care of companion
animals; penalty.

      (a)   Each owner or custodian of an animal shall provide for each of his
      companion animals all the following as defined in section 3.2-6500 of
      the Code of Virginia:

            (1)   Adequate feed;

            (2)   Adequate water;
(3)    Adequate shelter that is properly cleaned and sanitized;

            (4)   Adequate space in the primary enclosure for the particular
            type of animal depending upon its age, size, species, and weight;

            (5)    Adequate exercise;

            (6)    Adequate care, treatment and transportation; and

            (7)   Veterinary care when needed for disease control or to
            prevent suffering or disease transmission.

The provisions of this section shall also apply to every an owner or custodian
of any animal, fowl, or reptile, including every private owner, animal shelter or
other releasing agency, and every foster care provider, pound, dealer, pet
shop, exhibitor, kennel, groomer, and boarding establishment. This section
shall not require that animals used as food for other animals be euthanized.

      (b)   Game and wildlife species shall be cared for in accordance with
      current regulations promulgated by the Virginia Department of Games
      and Inland Fisheries.

      (c)    Violation of this section is a Cclass 4 misdemeanor. A second or
      subsequent violation of section 3-15 (a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) is a class 2
      misdemeanor; and a second or subsequent violation of section 3-15
      (a)(4), (5) or (6) is a class 3 misdemeanor.

Sec. 3-15.1.       Care of agricultural animals; penalty.

      (a)   Each owner or custodian shall provide for each of his
agricultural animals:

            (1)   Feed to prevent malnourishment;

            (2)   Water to prevent dehydration; and

            (3) Veterinary treatment as needed to address impairment of
            health or bodily function when such impairment cannot be
            otherwise addressed through animal husbandry, including
            humane destruction.

      (b)   The provisions of this section shall not require an owner to
      provide feed or water when such is customarily withheld, restricted,
      or apportioned pursuant to a farming activity or if otherwise
      prescribed by a veterinarian.
(c)  There shall be a rebuttable presumption that there has been
      no violation of this section if an owner is unable to provide feed,
      water, or veterinary treatment due to an act of God.

      (d)  The provisions of this section shall not apply to agricultural
      animals used for bona fide medical or scientific experimentation.

      (e)   A violation of this section is a class 4 misdemeanor.

Sec. 3-15.12. Abandonment of animals.

It shall be unlawful for any owner or custodian to abandon any dog, cat, or any
other animal or fowl or reptile in any public place, including the right-of-way of
any public highway, road or street, or on the property of another.

Sec. 3-16. Allowing animals to defecate on public property or on private
property of other persons.

It shall be unlawful for any owner or person in control of any animal to allow
any animal to defecate on the property of other persons without their consent
or that of the authorized agent or person having control of the premises or on
public property. Immediate removal and sanitary disposal of the defecated
matter shall not constitute a violation of this section. The defecated matter
shall be placed in a container and disposed of in a proper waste receptacle.

Sec. 3-17. Animals riding in open vehicles.

It shall be unlawful for the operator of any motor vehicle on a pubic road to
place or keep an animal in any portion of such vehicle that is open in such a
manner so as to permit such animal to jump out of or escape the vehicle or to
be thrown from the vehicle by acceleration or stopping of the vehicle or by an
accident involving the vehicle. The prohibited portions of a motor vehicle shall
include, but not be limited to:

      (1)   The open bed of a truck or upon a motorcycle; or

      (2)   The rear storage portion of a vehicle with the tailgate, truck, or
      hatchback portion open or down. For the purposes of this section, the
      operator of a motor vehicle shall be deemed to have control of any animal
      found there.

Sec. 3-18. Animals in enclosed vehicles.
(a)   It shall be unlawful to leave any animal in an enclosed a vehicle
     without the benefit of air conditioning when the outside temperature
     reaches eighty (80) degrees fahrenheit or greater.

     (b)    Any person who confines an animal in an unattended, enclosed
     vehicle so as to cause the animal to suffer from heat stress, shall be
     guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The animal control officer or other
     officer shall have the authority to remove any animal found in an
     enclosed vehicle that appears to be suffering from heat stress. The
     animal shall be provided immediate veterinary care. The animal owner or
     custodian shall be responsible for all expenses incurred during the
     removal of the animal or its subsequent treatment and impoundment.

     (c)    In the event that the person responsible for the violation cannot be
     ascertained, the registered owner of the vehicle, as required by Chapter 6
     of Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia, shall constitute in evidence a prima
     facie presumption that such registered owner was the person who
     committed the violation.

Sec. 3-19. Seizure and impoundment of animals.

     (a)   Any humane investigator, law enforcement official officer or
           animal control officer may lawfully seize and impound any animal,
           fowl, or reptile that has been abandoned, has been cruelly treated,
           or is suffering from an apparent violation of this article that has
           rendered the animal in such condition as to constitute a direct and
           immediate threat to its life, safety, or health. Such seizure and
           impoundment shall be effected consistent with the provisions
           of Va. Code § 3.2-6569.

     (b)   If the owner or custodian of any companion animal which has
           been impounded can be reasonably ascertained, that person
           shall be given notice of the impoundment.                Prior to
           redemption of the animal, the owner or custodian shall pay to
           the county an impoundment fee of twenty dollars ($20.00),
           and a boarding fee of ten dollars ($10.00) per day for each day
           the animal remains impounded, for each animal impounded.
           All fees and medical expenses accrued shall be paid to the
           treasurer’s office prior to release of the animal to the owner.

Sec. 3-20. Impoundment and redemption of livestock found at large.
The animal control officer shall take up and impound any livestock found
running at large in violation of this article or any provision of the Code of
Virginia. If the owner or custodian of any livestock so impounded can be
ascertained, that person shall be given notice of such impoundment. Upon
redemption of the livestock, the owner or custodian shall pay an impoundment
fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each and every time the same animal is
impounded, and a boarding fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per day for each
day that the animal remains impounded in the county's facility or other
designated facility. The owner or custodian of any livestock so impounded shall
also pay all additional expenses incurred as a result of impoundment to
include veterinary fees and needed special foods and medications. Any owner
who requests the assistance of the animal control department to aid in the
capture of their livestock shall be liable for all expenses incurred by the animal
control department.

The owner of any animal, fowl, or reptile impounded pursuant to this chapter
shall be required to pay an impound fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00),
boarding fees of ten dollars ($10.00) per day, and costs of any necessary
medical care or treatment. All fees accrued shall be paid to the treasurer's
office prior to the release of the animal, fowl, or reptile to the owner.

The owner of any animal held pursuant to this article for more than thirty (30)
days is required to post surety with Gloucester County for the amount of the
cost of boarding the animal until the appropriate hearing can be concluded in
the appropriate court, but in no case shall such time exceed nine (9) months.

Sec. 3-21. Casting carcass in road; disposition of carcasses.

      (a)    It shall be unlawful for any person to cast any dead animal or fowl
      into the road, or knowingly permit any dead animal or fowl to remain
      unburied upon his property when offensive to the public, or have in
      custody any maimed, diseased, disabled, or infirm animal or fowl, or to
      leave it to lie or be in a street, road, or public place.

      (b)    The owner of any animal or grown fowl which has died, when he
      knows of such death, shall forthwith have its body cremated, buried, or
      sanitarily disposed of, and if he fails to so do, after notice to the owner if
      he can be ascertained, the animal control officer or other officer shall
      cause any such dead animal or fowl to be cremated or buried, and the
      officer shall be entitled to recover from the owner of every such animal or
      grown fowl so cremated or buried, the actual cost of such cremation or
      burial to be recovered in the same manner as officers' fees are recovered,
      free from all exemptions in favor of such owner.
Sec. 3-22. Bird sanctuaries.

     (a)    Upon approval by the board of supervisors, a group of private
     citizens may post the boundary lines of an area of the county that has
     been designated as a bird sanctuary by the county with signs giving
     notice that the land so posted is a bird sanctuary and that killing,
     wounding or molesting birds, and molesting bird nests is unlawful.

     (b)    When signs are posted along the boundary lines of an area of the
     county in compliance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section,
     it shall be unlawful for any person to kill, wound, or molest any bird or
     to molest any bird's nest within such sanitary district, or to permit any
     dog under the person's care and control to hunt therein.

     (c)   The following areas of the county are declared bird sanctuaries:

           (1)   Gloucester Sanitary District No. 1 (approximately seven
           hundred fifty (750) acres covering most of the core of the
           courthouse village area).

           (2)   Goshen, Abingdon Magisterial District. For a more particular
           description, reference is made to that certain plat of survey
           prepared by Dawson, Phillips, Dischinger and Associates;
           engineers and surveyors, Gloucester, Virginia, dated January 9,
           1987, entitled "Plat Showing Survey of the Land of Edwin A.
           Joseph, Located in the Ware District of Gloucester County,
           Virginia", and recorded in the clerk's office of the Circuit Court of
           Gloucester County, Virginia, in Clerk's Plat Book 21, pages 879,
           879A and 879B.

Secs. 3-23--3-27. Reserved.

                               ARTICLE II. DOGS

                          DIVISION I. GENERALLY

Sec. 3-28.    Animal control officers and deputies to enforce article and
applicable provisions of state dog laws.

Pursuant to the provisions of section 3.2-6555 of the Code of Virginia, the
animal control officer and his deputies shall enforce the provisions of this
article and the applicable provisions of the comprehensive animal laws, Title
3.2, Chapter 65 of the Code of Virginia, within this county, under the general
supervision of the county administrator.
Sec. 3-29. Penalty for violation of Article II.

A violation of this article shall be deemed a Class 3 misdemeanor, unless a
different class or punishment is provided therefor.

Sec. 3-30. License required; unlicensed dogs prohibited.

It shall be unlawful for any person to own or have in his custody within the
county, a dog four (4) months or more of age, unless such dog is licensed as
provided in this article.

Sec. 3-31. Amount of license tax, kennel tax; exemptions.

(a)   The license tax shall be as follows:

Dog(Male or Female)        Type                       of LicenseTax
                           RabiesCertificate*
                           (up to three (3) years)
Unneutered/unspayed        One (1) year                    $10.00
                           Multiyear                        25.00
                           (up to three (3) years)
Neutered/spayed*           One (1) year                    3.00
                           Multiyear                       8.00
*Evidence from a licensed veterinarian required.

Abatement of the multiyear license tax will be made only in cases where the
rabies certificate expires in less than twelve (12) months. In those cases, the
tax applicable to a one-year certificate will be imposed.

      (1)    The annual tax for dog kennels shall be as follows:

Number of Dogs**                             License Tax
Up to:
5-10                                         $50.00
20                                           100.00
30                                           150.00
40                                           200.00
50                                           250.00
**Kennel licenses shall be sold in
blocks of ten (10).



             Duplicate licenses to replace current previously purchased licenses
             shall be issued by the treasurer's office for one dollar ($1.00) per
             tag.
(b)    No license tax shall be levied on any dog that is trained and serves
      as a guide dog for a blind person, or that is trained and serves as a
      hearing dog for a deaf or hearing-impaired person, or that is trained and
      serves as a service dog for a mobility-impaired person. As used in this
      section, the term "hearing dog" means a dog trained to alert its owner by
      touch, to sounds of danger and sounds to which the owner should
      respond, and a "service dog" means a dog trained to accompany its owner
      for the purpose of carrying items, retrieving objects, pulling a wheelchair,
      or other such activities of service or support.

Sec. 3-32. When license tax due and payable.

      (a)    The license tax for each dog is due no later than thirty (30) days
      after a dog has reached the age of four (4) months, or no later than thirty
      (30) days after an owner acquires a dog four (4) months of age or older.
      Such license tax shall cover a license period which runs concurrently
      with the rabies vaccination and shall expire upon expiration of the
      current rabies vaccination.

      (b)  All kennel licenses shall be due on January 1 and not later than
      January 31 of each year.

      (c)   It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to fail to pay the
      license tax when due. Upon conviction of any owner for a violation of this
      provision, in addition to any penalty imposed, the court may order the
      confiscation and proper disposition of the dog.

Sec. 3-33. Certification of inoculation or vaccination prerequisite for issuance
of license.

      (a)    No license shall be issued for any dog pursuant to section 3-31,
      unless at the time of application the applicant presents to the treasurer's
      office a certificate issued by a currently licensed veterinarian or currently
      licensed veterinary technician who was under the immediate and direct
      supervision of a licensed veterinarian on the premises. Such certificate
      shall be valid on the date of application and shall show that such dog
      has been inoculated or vaccinated against rabies. The license period
      shall cover the timeframe which runs concurrently with the rabies
      vaccination and shall expire upon expiration of the current rabies
      vaccination.

      (b)   No metal tag shall be issued for any dog subject to a kennel license
      issued pursuant to section 3-31, unless at the time of application the
applicant presents to the treasurer's office a certificate issued by a
      currently licensed veterinarian or currently licensed veterinary
      technician who was under the immediate and direct supervision of a
      licensed veterinarian on the premises. Such certificate shall be valid on
      the date of application and shall show that such dog has been inoculated
      or vaccinated against rabies. The metal tag shall be valid for the period of
      the kennel license or until the expiration of the current rabies
      vaccination, whichever occurs first.

Sec. 3-34. Issuance and design of license tag; required wearing of tag.

      (a)   Upon receipt of a proper application, current certificate(s) of
      vaccination, as required by section 3-51 and prescribed license tax, the
      treasurer's office shall issue a dog or kennel license.

      (b)    Each dog license shall consist of a license tax receipt and a metal
      tag.

      (c)   Each kennel license shall consist of a license tax receipt and metal
      tags. Metal kennel tags shall only be issued for the number of dogs that
      the owner can show satisfactory evidence have been vaccinated against
      rabies as required in section 3-51. All other unused kennel tags will be
      held by the treasurer's office to be given to the owner of said kennel
      license, if they wish to license additional vaccinated dogs.

      (d)   On such receipt, the treasurer's office shall record the name and
      address of the owner or custodian, the date of payment, the period for
      which the license is issued, the serial number of the tag, and whether
      male, female, unsexed, or kennel. The receipt information shall be
      retained by the treasurer's office, open to public inspection, during the
      period for which such license is valid.

      (e)    The metal license tag shall be stamped or permanently marked to
      show that it was issued by Gloucester County, Virginia, and to show the
      serial number.

      (f)  The metal license tag shall be affixed to the collar of the dog to
      which it relates, and must be worn by such dog at all times except:

             (1)   When the dog is competing in a dog show; or

             (2)   When the dog has a skin condition which would be
             exacerbated by the wearing of a collar.

Sec. 3-35. Payment of license tax subsequent to summons.
Payment of the license tax subsequent to a summons to appear before a court
for failure to do so within the time required, shall not operate to relieve such
owner from the penalties or court costs provided under Va. Code §§ 16.1-
69.48:1 or 17.1-275.1.

Sec. 3-36.    Effect of dog not wearing collar bearing metal license tag as
evidence.

Any dog not wearing a collar bearing a valid metal license tag shall prima facie
be deemed to be unlicensed, and in any proceedings under this article the
burden of proof of the fact that such dog has been licensed, or is otherwise not
required to bear a tag at the time, shall be on the owner of the dog.

Sec. 3-37. Impoundment and redemption of dogs found at large without metal
license tag.

The animal control officer shall seize and impound, at a facility designated for
such purpose by the board of supervisors, any dog found running at large
without wearing a valid metal license tag, and any other dog requiring
impoundment by any provision of this Code or any provision of the Code of
Virginia. If the owner or custodian of any dog so impounded can be
ascertained, that person shall be given notice of such impoundment. Prior to
redemption of the dog, the owner or custodian shall pay an impoundment fee of
twenty dollars ($20.00) for each and every time the same animal is impounded,
and a boarding fee of ten dollars ($10.00) per day for each day that the animal
remains impounded in the county's facility. All fees and medical expenses
accrued shall be paid to the treasurer's office prior to the release of the dog to
the owner.

Sec. 3-38. Dangerous and vicious dogs.

      (a)    As used in this section:

             (1)   Dangerous dog means a canine or canine crossbreed that
             has bitten, attacked, or inflicted injury on a person or companion
             animal that is a dog or cat, or killed a companion animal that is a
             dog or cat. However, when a dog attacks or bites a companion
             animal that is a dog or cat, the attacking or biting dog shall not be
             deemed dangerous:

                   a.     If no serious physical injury as determined by a
                   licensed veterinarian has occurred to the dog or cat as a
                   result of the attack or bite;
b.    If both animals are owned by the same person;

            c.     If such attack occurs on the property of the attacking
            or biting dog's owner or custodian; or

            d.     For other good cause as determined by the court. No
            dog shall be found to be a dangerous dog as a result of
            biting, attacking, or inflicting injury on a dog or cat while
            engaged with an owner or custodian as part of lawful
            hunting or participating in an organized, lawful dog-handling
            event. No dog that has bitten, attacked, or inflicted injury on
            a person shall be found to be a dangerous dog if the court
            determines, based on the totality of the evidence before it,
            that the dog is not dangerous or a threat to the community.

      (2)   Vicious dog means a canine or canine crossbreed that has:

            a.    Killed a person;

            b.     Inflicted serious injury to a person, including multiple
            bites, serious disfigurement, serious impairment of health,
            or serious impairment of a bodily function; or

            c.     Continued to exhibit the behavior that resulted in a
            previous finding by a court or on or before July 1, 2006, by
            an animal control officer as authorized by local ordinance,
            that it is a dangerous dog, provided that its owner has been
            given notice of that finding.

(b)   Any law enforcement officer or animal control officer who has
reason to believe that a canine or canine crossbreed within the county is
a dangerous dog or vicious dog shall apply to a magistrate serving the
county for the issuance of a summons requiring the owner or custodian,
if known, to appear before the general district court at a specified time.
The summons shall advise the owner of the nature of the proceeding and
the matters at issue. If a law enforcement officer successfully makes an
application for the issuance of a summons, he shall contact the local
animal control officer and inform him of the location of the dog and the
relevant facts pertaining to his belief that the dog is dangerous or
vicious. The animal control officer shall confine the animal until such
time as evidence shall be heard and a verdict rendered. If the animal
control officer determines that the owner or custodian can confine the
animal in a manner that protects the public safety, he may permit the
owner or custodian to confine the animal until such time as evidence
shall be heard and a verdict rendered. The court, through its contempt
powers, may compel the owner, custodian or harborer of the animal to
produce the animal. If, after hearing the evidence, the court finds that
the animal is a dangerous dog, the court shall order the animal's owner
to comply with the provisions of this section. If, after hearing the
evidence, the court finds that the animal is a vicious dog, the court shall
order the animal euthanized in accordance with the provisions of section
3.2-6562 of the Code of Virginia. The court, upon finding the animal to
be a dangerous or vicious dog, may order the owner, custodian, or
harborer thereof to pay restitution for actual damages to any person
injured by the animal or whose companion animal was injured or
killed by the animal. The procedure for appeal and trial shall be the
same as provided by law for misdemeanors. Trial by jury shall be as
provided in Article 4 (section 19.2-260 et seq.) of Chapter 15 of Title 19.2
of the Code of Virginia. The commonwealth or county shall be required to
prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

(c)    No canine or canine crossbreed shall be found to be a dangerous
dog or vicious dog solely because it is a particular breed, nor is the
ownership of a particular breed of canine or canine crossbreed
prohibited. No animal shall be found to be a dangerous dog or vicious
dog if the threat, injury or damage was sustained by a person who was:

      (1)  Committing, at the time, a crime upon the premises
      occupied by the animal's owner or custodian;

      (2)  Committing, at the time, a willful trespass upon the
      premises occupied by the animal's owner or custodian; or

      (3)   Provoking, tormenting, or physically abusing the animal, or
      can be shown to have repeatedly provoked, tormented, abused, or
      assaulted the animal at other times. No police dog that was
      engaged in the performance of its duties as such at the time of the
      acts complained of shall be found to be a dangerous dog or a
      vicious dog. No animal that, at the time of the acts complained of,
      was responding to pain or injury, or was protecting itself, its
      kennel, its offspring, a person, or its owner's or custodian's
      property, shall be found to be a dangerous dog or a vicious dog.

(d)   If the owner of an animal found to be a dangerous dog is a minor,
the custodial parent or legal guardian shall be responsible for complying
with all requirements of this section.
(e)    The owner of any animal found to be a dangerous dog shall, within
      ten (10) forty-five (45) days of such finding, obtain a dangerous dog
      registration certificate from the animal control department after a fee of
      one hundred fifty dollars ($100.00) ($150.00) is paid to the treasurer's
      office, in addition to other fees that may be authorized by law. The
      treasurer's office shall also provide the owner with a uniformly designed
      tag that identifies the animal as a dangerous dog. The owner shall affix
      the tag to the animal's collar and ensure that the animal wears the collar
      and tag at all times. All By January 31 of each year, until such time
      as the dangerous dog is deceased, all certificates obtained pursuant to
      this subsection shall be renewed annually for the same fee shall be
      updated and renewed for a fee of eighty-five dollars ($85.00) and in
      the same manner as the initial certificate was obtained. The animal
      control officer shall provide a copy of the dangerous dog registration
      certificate and verification of compliance to the state veterinarian post
      registration information on the Virginia Dangerous Dog Registry.

      (f)   All dangerous dog registration certificates or renewals thereof
      required to be obtained under this section shall only be issued to persons
      eighteen (18) years of age or older who present satisfactory evidence:

            (1)   Of the animal's current rabies vaccination, if applicable;

            (2)   That the animal has been neutered or spayed; and

            (3)   That the animal is and will be confined in a proper
            enclosure, or is and will be confined inside the owner's residence,
            or is and will be muzzled and confined in the owner's fenced-in
            yard until the proper enclosure is constructed. In addition, owners
            who apply for certificates or renewals thereof under this section
            shall not be issued a certificate or renewal thereof unless they
            present satisfactory evidence that:

                  a.     Their residence is and will continue to be posted with
                  clearly visible signs warning both minors and adults of the
                  presence of a dangerous dog on the property; and

                  b.     The animal has been permanently identified by means
                  of a tattoo on the inside thigh or by electronic implantation.

All certificates or renewals thereof required to be obtained under this section
shall only be issued to persons who present satisfactory evidence that the
owner has liability insurance coverage, to the value of at least one hundred
thousand dollars ($100,000.00), that covers animal bites. The owner may
obtain and maintain a bond in surety, in lieu of liability insurance, to the value
of at least one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00).

      (g)   While on the property of its owner, an animal found to be a
      dangerous dog shall be confined indoors or in a securely enclosed and
      locked structure of sufficient height and design to prevent its escape or
      direct contact with or entry by minors, adults, or other animals. The
      structure shall be designed to provide the animal with shelter from the
      elements of nature. When off its owner's property, an animal found to be
      a dangerous dog shall be kept on a leash and muzzled in such a manner
      as not to cause injury to the animal or interfere with the animal's vision
      or respiration, but so as to prevent it from biting a person or another
      animal.

      (h)    The owner of any dog found to be dangerous shall register the
      animal with the Commonwealth of Virginia Dangerous Dog Registry, as
      established under section 3.2-6542 of the Code of Virginia, within forty-
      five (45) days of such a finding by a court of competent jurisdiction. The
      owner shall also cause the local animal control officer to be promptly
      notified of:

            (1)   The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all owners;

            (2)   All of the means necessary to locate the owner and the dog
            at any time;

            (3)   Any complaints or incidents of attack by the dog upon any
            person or cat or dog;

            (4)   Any claims made or lawsuits brought as a result of any
            attack;

            (5)   Tattoo or chip identification information or both;

            (6)   Proof of insurance or surety bond; and

            (7)   The death of the dog.

      (i)  After an animal has been found to be a dangerous dog, the
      animal's owner shall immediately, upon learning of same, cause the
      animal control department to be notified if the animal:

            (1)   Is loose or unconfined;
(2)    Bites a person or attacks another animal; or

            (3)    Is sold, given away, or dies.

Any owner of a dangerous dog who relocates to a new address shall, within ten
(10) days of relocating, provide written notice to the animal control department
of the old address from which the animal has moved and the new address to
which the animal has been moved.

(j)    Any owner or custodian of a canine or canine crossbreed or other animal
is guilty of a:

      (1)   Class 2 misdemeanor, if the canine or canine crossbreed
      previously declared a dangerous dog pursuant to this section, when such
      declaration arose out of a separate and distinct incident, attacks and
      injures or kills a cat or dog that is a companion animal belonging to
      another person;

      (2)   Class 1 misdemeanor if the canine or canine crossbreed previously
      declared a dangerous dog pursuant to this section, when such
      declaration arose out of a separate and distinct incident, bites a human
      being or attacks a human being causing bodily injury; or

      (3)   Class 6 felony, if any owner or custodian whose willful act or
      omission in the care, control, or containment of a canine, canine
      crossbreed, or other animal is so gross, wanton, and culpable as to show
      a reckless disregard for human life, and is the proximate cause of such
      dog or other animal attacking and causing serious bodily injury to any
      person. Such conduct shall be charged under section 3.2-6540(J)(3) of
      the Code of Virginia.

The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any animal that, at the time
of the acts complained of, was responding to pain or injury, or was protecting
itself, its kennel, its offspring, a person, or its owner's or custodian's property,
or when the animal is a police dog that is engaged in the performance of its
duties at the time of the attack.

      (k)    The owner of any animal that has been found to be a dangerous
      dog, who willfully fails to comply with the requirements of this section, is
      guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

      (l)    All fees collected pursuant to this section, less the costs incurred
      by the animal control department in producing and distributing the
      certificates and tags required by this section and fees due to the State
Veterinarian for maintenance of the Virginia Dog Registry, shall be
      paid into a special dedicated fund in the treasury of the county for the
      purpose of paying the expenses of any training course required under
      section 3.2-6556 of the Code of Virginia.

Sec. 3-39. Nuisance animals.

      (a)   It shall be unlawful for any owner or custodian of an animal to fail
      to exercise proper care and control of his/her animal to prevent it from
      becoming a public nuisance, such as, but not limited to: Excessive or
      continuous barking audible outside the perimeters of the owner's
      property; molesting of a passerby, chasing vehicles, attacking other
      domestic animals; or trespassing upon school grounds and public parks.

      (b)   Any person owning or having in his possession or under his
      control any female dog in estrus (in season) shall exercise proper care
      and control over such animal to prevent it from becoming a nuisance.
      Allowing said animal to be at large or to be tied outside of a fenced or
      other enclosed area so as to attract other animals shall constitute a
      nuisance.

      (c)   It shall be unlawful for any person to carry or wear any live snake
      or reptile in public unless such snake or reptile is securely placed in an
      acceptable animal carrier so as to prevent escape or injury to the snake
      or reptile, another animal or human being.

Secs. 3-40--3-45. Reserved.

        DIVISION 2. DOGS RUNNING AT LARGE IN CERTAIN AREAS

Sec. 3-46. Running at large; prohibited in regulated areas.

      (a)   Any owner or custodian, whose dog is found to be running at large
      within the areas of the county described in the schedule of regulated
      areas specified in section 3-47 shall be in violation of this section.

      (b)   For the purpose of this section, a dog shall be deemed to run at
      large while roaming, running, or self-hunting off the property of its owner
      or custodian and not controlled by its owner or custodian by a leash or
      lead or other means of restraint not harmful or injurious to the dog.

      (c)    Any person who permits its dog to run at large, or remain
      unconfined, unrestricted, or not penned up, shall be deemed to have
      violated the provisions of this section. The animal control officer or law
      enforcement officers shall have the duty to enforce the provisions of this
section, and any person found in violation of this section shall be guilty
      of a Class 3 misdemeanor.

      (d)   This section shall not apply to any person who uses a dog under
      his direct supervision while lawfully hunting, while engaged in
      supervised formal obedience training class or show, or during formally
      sanctioned field trials.

Sec. 3-47. Official schedule of restricted areas for dogs running at large.

      (a)  All property owned or leased by the County of Gloucester (all parks
      and playgrounds) or the School Board of Gloucester County (all school
      grounds); and

      (b)   All property in Gloucester Sanitary District No. 1 (approximately
      seven hundred fifty (750) acres covering most of the core of the
      courthouse village area); and

      (c)   The following subdivisions/areas:


                                                              Description
  Magisterial           Subdivision/Area
  District *




Abingdon          Carter’s Cove Subdivision        All sections of the subdivision
                  Crescent Run Subdivision         as shown on all plats now on
                  Sandy and Jones Creek            record in the clerk’s office of
                  Subdivision                      the county circuit court and all
                                                   future recorded plats           of
                  Village Knoll Subdivision
                                                   sections   of   the   subdivision
                                                   appurtenant to the subdivision
                                                   as it exists on February 7,
                                                   2006.




Abingdon          Claybank Landing Area            The area and property located
and lying between Hermitage
(Virginia State Route Number
682) and the mean low water
mark of the York River, being
more particularly described as:
bounded on the northeast by
the center line of Hermitage
Lane, as it runs from Aberdeen
Creek       in        a         northwesterly
direction        to       its    intersection
with Clay Bank Road (Virginia
State Route Number 616); on
the northwest by the center
line of Clay Bank Road, as it
runs from its intersection with
Hermitage             Lane           in    a
southwesterly                       direction
through Clay Bank Landing to
the mean low water mark of the
York River; on the southwest
by the shore line of the York
River at mean low water, as it
meanders in a southeasterly
direction between Clay Bank
Landing and Aberdeen Creek;
and on the southeast by the
point where the center line of
Hermitage             Lane          extended
intersects the shore line at
mean low water of Aberdeen
Creek and the York River, the
point of beginning.




Abingdon   Deer Run Area**   Commencing at a point on the
                             centerline of State Route 619 at
                             its   intersection      with      State
                             Route      1040;      thence     in    a
                             westerly    direction     along       the
                             centerline of Route 619 and the
                             dirt lane which continues in a
                             westerly      direction     at        the
                             terminus      of   Route       619     a
                             distance      of      approximately
                             1,316 feet to an iron pipe;
                             thence south 26 degrees 48
                             minutes 49 seconds east, a
                             distance of five hundred ninety-
                             four (594) feet to an iron pipe;
                             thence south 25 degrees 34
                             minutes 22 seconds east a
                             distance of approximately six
                             hundred eighty (680) feet to the

                             center of Fox Mill Run; thence
                             in    a   generally    southeasterly
                             direction along the center of
                             Fox Mill Run to its confluence
                             with Crany Creek; thence in a
                             generally     northerly    direction
                             along the center of Crany Creek
                             to Route 619; thence in a
                             westerly    direction     along       the
centerline of Route 619 to its
                                        intersection with Route 1040,
                                        the point of beginning.

Petsworth   Foxhaven Subdivision        All sections of the subdivision
                                        as shown on all plats now on
                                        record in the clerk’s office of
                                        the county circuit court and all
                                        future recorded plats           of
                                        sections   of   the   subdivision
                                        appurtenant to the subdivision
                                        as it exists on February 7,
                                        2006.




                                        All sections of the subdivision
                                        as shown on all plats now on
                                        record in the clerk's office of
                                        the county circuit court and all
                                        future     recorded    plats    of
            “The Commons”               sections   of   the   subdivision
                                        appurtenant to the subdivision
                                        as it exists on July 1, 2008.




Ware        Campfield Subdivision       All sections of the subdivision
                                        as shown on all plats now on
            Cedar Lake Subdivision
                                        record in the clerk’s office of
            Founders Mill Subdivision
                                        the county circuit court and all
            Glen Roy Estates            future     recorded    plats    of
                                        sections   of   the   subdivision
            Holly Springs Subdivision
                                        appurtenant to the subdivision
Hunter’s Run Subdivision          as it exists on February 7,
                                                     2006.
                   Meadow Brook Subdivision

                   Sheffield Subdivision

                   Deer Run Area**

                   (See Abingdon above for
                   description)



York/Gloucester Entire Districts                     All areas of the County lying
Point York         Areas as described                south    of   a   boundary          line
                                                     starting at Cedar Bush Creek
                                                     then along Cedar Bush Road
                                                     (State   Route        633)    to     its
                                                     intersection with Hickory Fork
                                                     Road (State Route 614) thence
                                                     southerly along U.S. Route #17
                                                     to   Brays    Point    Road    (State
                                                     Route 636) then southeasterly
                                                     along    Brays    Point      Road    to
                                                     where    it   terminates      at    the
                                                     Severn River.




Gloucester         Entire District
Point




* Magisterial District is listed to assist in locating the regulated areas only.

  Redistricting may result in a subdivision or area moving to another district.
** Portions of Deer Run Subdivision are in both Abingdon and Ware Magisterial
districts.




Sec. 3-48. Reserved.

             DIVISION 3. COMMERCIAL DOG BREEDING OPERATIONS

Sec. 3-48.1. Business license required.

No commercial dog breeder shall breed dogs in the county without a valid
business license issued by the county.

Sec. 3-48.2. Commercial dog breeding; requirements.

Commercial dog breeders shall:

       (1)   Maintain no more than fifty (50) dogs over the age of one (1) year at
       any time for breeding purposes;

       (2)   Breed female dogs only: (i) after annual certification by a licensed
       veterinarian that the dog is in suitable health for breeding; (ii) after the
       dog has reached the age of eighteen (18) months; and (iii) if the dog has
       not yet reached the age of eight (8) years;

       (3)    Dispose of dogs only by gift, sale, transfer, barter, or euthanasia by
       a licensed veterinarian;

       (4)   Dispose of deceased dogs in accordance with section 3.2-6554 of
       the Code of Virginia;

       (5)   Dispose of dog waste in accordance with state and federal laws and
       regulations; and

       (6)    Maintain accurate records for at least five (5) years including:

              a.    The date on which a dog enters the operation;
b.    The person from whom the animal was purchased or
            obtained, including the address and phone number of such
            person;

            c.    A description of the animal, including the species, color,
            breed, sex, and approximate age and weight;

            d.  Any tattoo, microchip number, or other identification
            number carried by or appearing on the animal;

            e.  Each date that puppies are born to such animal and the
            number of puppies;

            f.    All medical care and vaccinations provided to the animal,
            including certifications required by a licensed veterinarian; and

            g.    The disposition of each animal and the date.

Sec. 3-48.3. Right of entry.

      (a)    Any animal control officer and any public health or safety official
      employed by the county where a commercial dog breeder resides or
      maintains breeding operations may, upon receiving a complaint or upon
      his own motion, investigate any violation of the provisions of this
      division. Such investigation may include (i) the inspection of the books
      and records of any commercial dog breeder, (ii) the inspection of any
      companion animal owned by the commercial dog breeder, and (iii) the
      inspection of any place where animals are bred or maintained. In
      conducting the inspection, the animal control officer may enter any
      premises where animals may be bred or maintained during daytime
      hours.

      (b)   Any commercial dog breeder who is the subject of an investigation
      by an animal control officer shall, upon request, provide assistance to
      the animal control officer in making any inspection authorized by this
      section.

Sec. 3-48.4. Concurrent operation of releasing agency prohibited.

It is unlawful for a commercial dog breeder to operate or maintain a controlling
interest in any releasing agency.

Sec. 3-48.5. Penalty.
Gloucester County Virginia Animal Control ammendments 1 2013
Gloucester County Virginia Animal Control ammendments 1 2013
Gloucester County Virginia Animal Control ammendments 1 2013
Gloucester County Virginia Animal Control ammendments 1 2013
Gloucester County Virginia Animal Control ammendments 1 2013
Gloucester County Virginia Animal Control ammendments 1 2013
Gloucester County Virginia Animal Control ammendments 1 2013

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Gloucester County Virginia Animal Control ammendments 1 2013

  • 1. PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE Pursuant to the Code of Virginia, the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors will conduct a Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 5, 2013 beginning at 8:00 p.m. in the Colonial Courthouse, 6504 Main Street Gloucester, Virginia to consider the following: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING GLOUCESTER COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 3 – ANIMALS AND FOWL The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors has been made aware that amendments to Chapter 3 are deemed appropriate due to recent changes to State law. The Board will hold a public hearing to hear public comment concerning the proposed amendment of Chapter 3 at its meeting of Tuesday, February 5, 2013. The proposed amendments to Chapter 3 include: adding the definition of farming activity to Section 3-2; amending Section 3-15 (care of companion animals; penalties); adding Section 3-15.1 (care of agricultural animals; penalties); and amending Section 3-19 (seizure and impoundment of animals), Section 3-38 (dangerous and vicious dogs), and Article III (Rabies Control) to reflect recent State law changes, and to more closely track the language of State enabling legislation. A complete copy of documents concerning this matter is available and may be reviewed at the Gloucester County Administrator’s office at 6467 Main Street, Gloucester, Virginia, on the web at www.gloucesterva.info and at both branches of the Gloucester County Library - Main Branch: 6920 Main Street, Gloucester, Virginia - Gloucester Point Branch: 2354 York Crossing Drive, Gloucester Point, Virginia. All interested parties are invited to attend the hearing to express their views. Persons requiring assistance to attend the hearing should contact the Gloucester County Administrator’s office at (804) 693-4042. Brenda G. Garton County Administrator
  • 2. AT A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF GLOUCESTER COUNTY, VIRGINIA, HELD ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013, AT 8:00 P. M., AT THE COLONIAL COURTHOUSE, 6504 MAIN STREET, GLOUCESTER, VIRGINIA: ON A MOTION MADE BY _______________, AND SECONDED BY ____________________, THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE: Carter M. Borden, ___; Ashley C. Chriscoe, ___; Christopher A. Hutson, ___; Andrew James, Jr., ___; John H. Northstein, ___; Robert J. Orth, ___; Louise D. Theberge, ___; AN ORDINANCE AMENDING GLOUCESTER COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 3 – ANIMALS AND FOWL WHEREAS, the provisions of Gloucester County’s Code governing animal welfare and control are contained in Gloucester County Code Chapter 3; and WHEREAS, recent changes to State law make appropriate amendments to Chapter 3. The proposed amendments include: adding the definition of farming activity to Section 3-2; amending Section 3-15 (care of companion animals); adding Section 3-15.1 (care of agricultural animals; penalties); and amending Section 3-19 (seizure and impoundment of animals), Section 3-38 (dangerous and vicious dogs), and Article III (Rabies Control), to reflect recent State law changes, and to more closely track the language of State enabling legislation; and WHEREAS, a duly advertised public hearing was held on February 5, 2013 to receive public comment regarding the proposed amendments to Gloucester County Code Chapter 3 – Animals and Fowl; and WHEREAS, the Board finds that the amendments are appropriate and is desirous of amending Chapter 3 of the Gloucester County Code, in accordance with the provisions which follow. NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED AND ENACTED that the Gloucester County Code Chapter 3 – Animal Welfare and Control, is hereby amended as follows: Chapter 3 ANIMALS AND FOWL WELFARE AND CONTROL Article I. In General
  • 3. § 3-1. Penalty for violation of Article I. § 3-2. Definitions. § 3-3. Duties and authority of animal control officers. § 3-4. Animals and fowl prohibited to be at large upon, or to graze alongside of, any public street or highway. § 3-5. Property line constitutes lawful fence as to certain animals. § 3-6. When unlawful for animals to run at large. § 3-7. Maintenance of animals and fowl. § 3-8. Prohibition of keeping or exhibiting wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animals within the County of Gloucester. § 3-9. Infectious or contagious diseases among animals and poultry; duty of owners and custodians; procedure for establishing quarantine. § 3-10. Same--Transporting or conveying custody or possession of animal or fowl exposed to disease. § 3-11. Notification by individuals finding companion animals. § 3-12. Releasing agencies registration required. § 3-13. Cruelty to animals. § 3-14. Use of fireworks causing injury to animals. § 3-15. Failure to perform duties of ownership; Care of companion animals; penalty. § 3-15.1 Care of agricultural animals; penalty § 3-15.12. Abandonment of animals. § 3-16. Allowing animals to defecate on public property or on private property of other persons. § 3-17. Animals riding in open vehicles. § 3-18. Animals in enclosed vehicles. § 3-19. Seizure and impoundment of animals. § 3-20. Impoundment and redemption of livestock found at large. § 3-21. Casting carcass in road; disposition of carcasses. § 3-22. Bird sanctuaries. § 3-23--3-27. Reserved. Article II. Dogs Division 1. Generally
  • 4. § 3-28. Animal control officer and deputies to enforce article and applicable provisions of state dog laws. § 3-29. Penalty for violation of Article II. § 3-30. License required; unlicensed dogs prohibited. § 3-31. Amount of license tax, kennel tax; exemptions. § 3-32. When license tax due and payable. § 3-33. Certification of inoculation or vaccination prerequisite for issuance of license. § 3-34. Issuance and design of license tag; required wearing of tag. § 3-35. Payment of license tax subsequent to summons. § 3-36. Effect of dog not wearing collar bearing metal license tag as evidence. § 3-37. Impoundment and redemption of dogs found at large without metal license tag. § 3-38. Dangerous and vicious dogs. § 3-39. Nuisance animals. §§ 3-40--3-45. Reserved. Division 2. Dogs Running at Large in Certain Areas § 3-46. Running at large--Prohibited in regulated areas. § 3-47. Official schedule of restricted areas for dogs running at large. § 3-48. Reserved. Division 3. Commercial Dog Breeding Operations § 3-48.1. Business license required. § 3-48.2. Commercial dog breeding; requirements. § 3-48.3. Right of entry. § 3-48.4. Concurrent operation of releasing agency prohibited. § 3-48.5. Penalty. §§ 3-49--3-50. Reserved. Article III. Rabies Control § 3-51. Vaccination or inoculation against rabies required. § 3-52. Certificate of inoculation or vaccination to be issued. § 3-53. Emergency ordinance requiring confinement or restraint of dogs and cats when rabid animal at large.
  • 5. § 3-54. Report of existence of rabid animals. § 3-55. Reporting of animal bites. § 3-56. Confinement or destruction of dogs, cats, or any other animals showing signs of or suspected of having rabies. § 3-57. Destruction or confinement of dog, cat, or any other animal bitten by a rabid animal. § 3-58. Confinement or destruction of animal which has bitten may have exposed a person. § 3-59. Concealing or harboring an animal to prevent its destruction or confinement under article. § 3-60. Penalty for violation of Article III. ARTICLE I. IN GENERAL Sec. 3-1. Penalty for violation of Article I. Unless otherwise specified, a violation of this article shall be deemed a Class 3 misdemeanor and a warrant for the violation may be obtained by an animal control officer or sheriff's deputy. Sec. 3-2. Definitions. The following words as used in this chapter shall have the following meanings: Abandon means to desert, forsake, or absolutely give up an animal without having secured another owner or custodian for the animal or by failing to provide the elements of basic care as set forth in sections 3-15 or 3-15.1 for a period of five (5) consecutive days. Adequate care or care means the responsible practice of good animal husbandry, handling, production, management, confinement, feeding, watering, protection, shelter, transportation, treatment, and when necessary, euthanasia, appropriate for the age, species, condition, size and type of the animal and the provision of veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering or impairment of health. Adequate exercise or exercise means the opportunity for the animal to move sufficiently to maintain normal muscle tone and mass for the age, species, size and condition of the animal. Adequate feed means access to and the provision of food that is of sufficient quantity and nutritive value to maintain each animal in good health; is
  • 6. accessible to each animal; is prepared so as to permit ease of consumption for the age, species, condition, size and type of each animal; is provided in a clean and sanitary manner; is placed so as to minimize contamination by excrement and pests; and is provided at suitable intervals for the species, age and condition of the animal, but at least once daily, except as prescribed by a veterinarian or as dictated by naturally occurring states of hibernation or fasting normal for the species. Adequate shelter means provision of and access to shelter that is suitable for the species, age, condition, size and type of each animal; provides adequate space for each animal; is safe and protects each animal from injury, rain, sleet, snow, hail, direct sunlight, the adverse effects of heat or cold, physical suffering and impairment of health; is properly lighted; is properly cleaned; enables each animal to be clean and dry, except when detrimental to the species; and for dogs and cats, provides a solid surface, resting platform, pad, floormat, or similar device that is large enough for the animal to lie on in a normal manner and can be maintained in a sanitary manner. Under this chapter, shelters whose wire, grid or slat floors: (1) Permit the animals' feet to pass through the openings; (2) Sag under the animals' weight; or (3) Otherwise do not protect the animals' feet or toes from injury, are not adequate shelter. Adequate space means sufficient space to allow each animal to: (1) Easily stand, sit, lie, turn about, and make all other normal body movements in a comfortable, normal position for the animal; and (2) Interact safely with other animals in the enclosure. When an animal is tethered, "adequate space" means a tether that permits the above actions and is appropriate to the age and size of the animal; is attached to the animal by a properly applied collar, halter, or harness configured so as to protect the animal from injury and prevent the animal or tether from becoming entangled with other objects or animals, or from extending over an object or edge that could result in the strangulation or injury of the animal; and is at least three (3) times the length of the animal, as measured from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail, except when the animal is being walked on a leash or is attached by a tether to a lead line. When freedom of movement would endanger the animal, temporarily and appropriately restricting movement of the
  • 7. animal, according to professionally accepted standards for the species, is considered provision of adequate space. Adequate water means provision of and access to clean, fresh, potable water of a drinkable temperature that is provided in a suitable manner, in sufficient volume, and at suitable intervals, appropriate for the weather and temperature, to maintain normal hydration for the age, species, condition, size, and type of each animal, except as prescribed by a veterinarian or as dictated by naturally occurring states of hibernation or fasting normal for the species; and is provided in clean, durable receptacles that are accessible to each animal and are placed so as to minimize contamination of the water by excrement and pests or an alternative source of hydration consistent with generally accepted husbandry practices. Adoption means the transfer of ownership of a dog or a cat, or any other companion animal, from a releasing agency to an individual. Agricultural animals mean all livestock and poultry. Ambient temperature means the temperature surrounding the animal. Animal means any nonhuman vertebrate species except fish. For the purposes of Article III, animal means any species susceptible to rabies. For the purposes of section 3-13, animal means any nonhuman vertebrate species including fish, except those fish captured and killed or disposed of in a reasonable and customary manner. Animal control officer means a person appointed as an animal control officer or deputy animal control officer. Animal shelter means a facility, other than a private residential dwelling and its surrounding grounds, that is used to house or contain animals and that is owned, operated, or maintained by a nongovernmental entity including, but not limited to, a humane society, animal welfare organization, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or any other organization operating for the purpose of finding permanent adoptive homes for animals. Boarding establishment means a place or establishment other than a pound or animal shelter where companion animals not owned by the proprietor are sheltered, fed, and watered in exchange for a fee. Collar means a well-fitted device, appropriate to the age and size of the animal, attached to the animal's neck in such a way as to prevent trauma or injury to the animal.
  • 8. Commercial dog breeder means any person who, during any twelve-month period, maintains thirty (30) or more adult female dogs for the primary purpose of the sale of their offspring as companion animals. Companion animal means any domestic or feral dog, domestic or feral cat, nonhuman primate, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit not raised for human food or fiber, exotic or native animal, reptile, exotic or native bird, or any feral animal or any animal under the care, custody, or ownership of a person or any animal that is bought, sold, traded, or bartered by any person. Agricultural animals, game species, or any animals regulated under federal law as research animals shall not be considered companion animals for the purposes of this chapter. Consumer means any natural person purchasing an animal from a dealer or pet shop or hiring the services of a boarding establishment. The term "consumer" shall not include a business or corporation engaged in sales or services. Dangerous dog means a canine or canine crossbreed that has bitten, attacked, or inflicted injury on a person or companion animal that is a dog or cat, or killed a companion animal that is a dog or cat. However, when a dog attacks or bites a companion animal that is a dog or cat, the attacking or biting dog shall not be deemed dangerous: (1) If no serious physical injury as determined by a licensed veterinarian has occurred to the dog or cat as a result of the attack or bite; (2) If both animals are owned by the same person; (3) If such attack occurs on the property of the attacking or biting dog's owner or custodian; or (4) For other good cause as determined by the court. No dog shall be found to be a dangerous dog as a result of biting, attacking, or inflicting injury on a dog or cat while engaged with an owner or custodian as part of lawful hunting or participating in an organized, lawful dog-handling event. No dog that has bitten, attacked, or inflicted injury on a person shall be found to be a dangerous dog if the court determines, based on the totality of the evidence before it, that the dog is not dangerous or a threat to the community.
  • 9. Dealer means any person who, in the regular course of business for compensation or profit, buys, sells, transfers, exchanges, or barters companion animals. The following shall not be considered dealers: (1) Any person who transports companion animals in the regular course of business as a common carrier; or (2) Any person or organization whose primary purpose is to find permanent adoptive homes for companion animals. Direct and immediate threat means any clear and imminent danger to an animal's health, safety, or life. Dump means to knowingly desert, forsake, or absolutely give up without having secured another owner or custodian any dog, cat, or other companion animal in any public place including the right-of-way of any public highway, road, street, or on the property of another. Emergency veterinary treatment means veterinary treatment to stabilize a life- threatening condition, alleviate suffering, prevent further disease transmission, or prevent further disease progression. Enclosure means a structure used to house or restrict animals from running at large. Euthanasia means the humane destruction of an animal accomplished by a method that involves instantaneous unconsciousness and immediate death, or by a method that involves anesthesia, produced by an agent that causes painless loss of consciousness and death during such loss of consciousness. Exhibitor means any person who has animals for or on public display, excluding an exhibitor licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture. Exotic animal means any live monkey (nonhuman primate), raccoon, skunk, wolf, wolf-canine hybrid, squirrel, fox, and other nondomesticated porcine, leopard, tiger, lion, panther, or any other similar warm-blooded animal, venomous reptile to include, but not limited to: coral snakes, rattlesnakes, cottonmouth snakes, vipers and cobras, sea snakes, gila monsters, mexican beaded lizards, or nonvenomous reptiles six (6) feet or longer in length which can normally be found in the wild; all constrictor-type snakes, poisonous arachnids to include, but not limited to: black widow spiders, brown recluse spiders, scorpions, poisonous amphibians to include, but not limited to: poison arrow frogs or any member of the crocodilian family including, but not limited to: alligators, crocodiles, caimans, and gavials; or any other animal that would
  • 10. require a standard of care and control greater than that required for customary household pets sold by commercial pet shops or domestic farm animals. Ferrets and birds which are normally purchased through pet stores, nonpoisonous reptiles less than six (6) feet in length, domestic rabbits, domestic rodents which have been bred in captivity and have not been kept in the wild, shall be excluded from the definitions of wild and exotic animals. Facility means a building or portion thereof as designated by the state veterinarian, other than a private residential dwelling and its surrounding grounds, that is used to contain a primary enclosure or enclosures in which animals are housed or kept. Farming activity means, consistent with standard animal husbandry practices, the raising, management, and use of agricultural animals to provide food, fiber, or transportation and the breeding, exhibition, lawful recreational use, marketing, transportation, and slaughter of agricultural animals pursuant to such purposes. Foster care provider means an individual who provides care or rehabilitation for companion animals through an affiliation with a pound, animal shelter, or other releasing agency. Foster home means a private residential dwelling and its surrounding grounds where, through an affiliation with a pound, animal shelter, or other releasing agency, care or rehabilitation is provided for companion animals. Groomer means any person who, for a fee, cleans, trims, brushes, makes neat, manicures, or treats for external parasites any animal. Health director means an employee of the Virginia Department of Health with authority to enforce the regulations promulgated by the State Board of Health. Home-based rescue means any person or organization that accepts: (1) More than twelve (12) companion animals; or (2) More than nine (9) companion animals and more than three (3) unweaned litters of companion animals in a calendar year for the purpose of finding permanent adoptive homes for the companion animals and houses the companion animals in a private residential dwelling or uses a system of housing companion animals in private residential foster homes. Humane means any action taken in consideration of, and with the intent to, provide for the animal's health and well-being.
  • 11. Humane investigator means a person who has been appointed by a circuit court as a humane investigator as provided in section 3.2-6558 of the Code of Virginia. Humane society means any incorporated, nonprofit organization that is organized for the purposes of preventing cruelty to animals and promoting humane care and treatment or adoption of animals. Kennel means any establishment in which five (5) or more canines, felines, or hybrids of either, are kept for the purpose of breeding, hunting, training, renting, buying, boarding, selling, or showing. Livestock includes all domestic or domesticated: bovine animals; equine animals; ovine animals; porcine animals; cervidae animals; capradae animals; animals of the genus Lama; ratites; fish or shellfish in aquaculture facilities, as defined in section 3.2-2600 of the Code of Virginia; enclosed domesticated rabbits or hares raised for human food or fiber; or any other individual animal specifically raised for food or fiber, except companion animals. Local ordinance means any law, rule, regulation, or ordinance promulgated by the governing body of the county. Locality or local government means a county, city or town, as the context may require. New owner means an individual who is legally competent to enter into a binding agreement pursuant to subdivision B2 of section 3.2-6574 of the Code of Virginia, and who adopts or receives a dog or cat from a releasing agency. Owner means any person who: (1) Has a right of property in an animal; (2) Keeps or harbors an animal; (3) Has an animal in his care; or (4) Acts as a custodian of an animal. Person means any individual, partnership, firm, joint-stock company, corporation, association, trust, estate, or other legal entity. Pet shop means an establishment where companion animals are bought, sold, exchanged, or offered for sale or exchange to the general public.
  • 12. Poisonous and/or venomous animal shall mean any animal, fowl, reptile or amphibian that causes injury, illness or death by chemical means. Poultry includes all domestic fowl and game birds raised in captivity. Pound means a facility operated by the commonwealth or any locality, including Gloucester County, for the purpose of impounding or harboring seized, stray, homeless, abandoned, or unwanted animals; or a facility operated for the same purpose under a contract with any locality or incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals. Primary enclosure means any structure used to immediately restrict an animal or animals to a limited amount of space, such as a room, pen, cage, compartment, or hutch. For tethered animals, the term includes the shelter and the area within reach of the tether. Properly cleaned means: (1) That carcasses, debris, food waste and excrement are removed from the primary enclosure with sufficient frequency to minimize the animals' contact with the above-mentioned contaminants; (2) The primary enclosure is sanitized with sufficient frequency to minimize odors and the hazards of disease; and (3) The primary enclosure is cleaned so as to prevent the animals confined therein from being directly or indirectly sprayed with the stream of water, or directly or indirectly exposed to hazardous chemicals or disinfectants. Properly lighted, when referring to a facility, means sufficient illumination to permit routine inspections, maintenance, cleaning, and housekeeping of the facility, and observation of the animals; to provide regular diurnal lighting cycles of either natural or artificial light, uniformly diffused throughout the facility; and to promote the well-being of the animals. Properly lighted, when referring to a private residential dwelling and its surrounding grounds, means sufficient illumination to permit routine maintenance and cleaning thereof, and observation of the companion animals; and to provide regular diurnal lighting cycles of either natural or artificial light to promote the well-being of the animals. Releasing agency means a pound, animal shelter, humane society, animal welfare organization, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or other
  • 13. similar entity or home-based rescue, that releases companion animals for adoption. Research facility means any place, laboratory, or institution licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at which scientific tests, experiments or investigations involving the use of living animals are carried out, conducted, or attempted. Sanitize means to make physically clean and to remove and destroy, to a practical minimum, agents injurious to health. Sore means, when referring to an equine, that an irritating or blistering agent has been applied, internally or externally, by a person to any limb or foot of an equine; any burn, cut, or laceration that has been inflicted by a person to any limb or foot of an equine; any tack, nail, screw, or chemical agent that has been injected by a person into or used by a person on any limb or foot of an equine; any other substance or device that has been used by a person on any limb or foot of an equine; or a person has engaged in a practice involving an equine, and as a result of such application, infliction, injection, use or practice, such equine suffers or can reasonably be expected to suffer, physical pain or distress, inflammation or lameness when walking, trotting, or otherwise moving, except that such term does not include such an application, infliction, injection, use, or practice in connection with the therapeutic treatment of an equine by or under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, nothing shall preclude the shoeing, use of pads, and use of action devices as permitted by 9 C.F.R., Part 11.2. State veterinarian means the veterinarian employed by the commissioner of agriculture and consumer services as provided in section 3.2-5901 of the Code of Virginia. State veterinarian's representative means any person who is either: (i) an employee of the department of agriculture and consumer services who is under the direction of the state veterinarian; or (ii) a veterinarian deputized pursuant to section 3.2-5901 of the Code of Virginia. Sterilize or sterilization means a surgical or chemical procedure performed by a licensed veterinarian that renders a dog or cat permanently incapable of reproducing. Treatment or adequate treatment means the responsible handling or transportation of animals in the person's ownership, custody or charge, appropriate for the age, species, condition, size and type of the animal.
  • 14. Veterinary treatment means treatment by or on the order of a duly licensed veterinarian. Vicious dog means a canine or canine crossbreed that has: (1) Killed a person; (2) Inflicted serious injury to a person, including multiple bites, serious disfigurement, serious impairment of health, or serious impairment of a bodily function; or (3) Continued to exhibit the behavior that resulted in a previous finding by a court or, on or before July 1, 2006, by an animal control officer as authorized by local ordinance, that it is a dangerous dog, provided that its owner has been given notice of that finding. Weaned means that an animal is capable of and physiologically accustomed to ingestion of solid food or food customary for the adult of the species, and has ingested such food, without nursing, for a period of at least five (5) days. Wild animal means any warm-blooded animal that can normally be found in the wild state. Sec. 3-3. Duties and authority of animal control officers. (a) By authority of the board of supervisors, the county shall employ an animal control officer and one (1) or more deputy animal control officers who shall have the power to enforce this entire chapter and all state laws enacted for animal control and protection. (b) The animal control officer and deputy animal control officers shall have a working knowledge of this chapter and of animal control and protection laws of Virginia which they are required to enforce. When in uniform or upon displaying a badge or other credentials of office, the animal control officers and deputy animal control officers shall have the power to issue a summons or obtain a felony warrant as necessary, providing the execution of such warrant shall be carried out by any law enforcement officer as defined in section 9.1-101 of the Code of Virginia, to any person found in the act of violating any such law or any ordinance enacted pursuant to such law of the county in which the animal control officer or deputy animal control officer is appointed. (c) Whenever the term "animal control officer" is used in this chapter, it shall mean the animal control officer appointed and employed
  • 15. pursuant to this section or any duly employed deputy animal control officer. (d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the issuance of a warrant for any violation of this chapter based upon the complaint of any citizen or any law enforcement officer and upon a finding of probable cause by an officer authorized to issue arrest warrants generally. (e) Every animal control officer and deputy animal control officers shall complete the training required by section 3.2-6556 of the Code of Virginia. Such training shall include, and be completed within two (2) years after appointment, a basic animal control course that has been approved by the state veterinarian which shall include training in recognizing suspected child abuse and neglect and information on how complaints may be filed. Thereafter, all animal control officers shall complete such additional training as may be required by the Code of Virginia. The county shall submit to the state veterinarian, on a form provided by him, information concerning the employment and training status of the animal control officers employed by the county. The state veterinarian may require that the county notify him of any change in such information. (f) No individual shall interfere with an animal control officer in the legal performance of his or her duties. This includes, but is not limited to, striking or attempting to strike the animal control officer; providing the animal control officer with false information; taking or attempting to take any animal from an animal control officer in the legal performance of his or her duties; taking or attempting to take any animal from any property owned or controlled by the county without proper authority or taking or damaging any county property used in conjunction with the animal control officer's duties. (g) It shall be unlawful and shall constitute a Class 2 misdemeanor for any person to make a false statement to an animal control officer while in the performance of their duties conducting an investigation. Sec. 3-4. Animals and fowl prohibited to be at large upon, or to graze alongside of, any public street or highway. It shall be unlawful for any person to permit any animal or fowl owned by him or in his custody or under his control to run at large upon, or to graze alongside, any public street or highway, whether such street or highway be enclosed by fence or not.
  • 16. Sec. 3-5. Property line constitutes lawful fence as to certain animals. The boundary line of each lot or tract of land in this county is hereby declared to be a lawful fence as to any horse, mule, cattle, hog, sheep, or goat, or poultry. Sec. 3-6. When unlawful for animals to run at large. It shall be unlawful for the owner or custodian of any animal or type of animal described in section 3-5 to allow said animal to run at large, as to which the boundaries of lots or tracts of land have been or may be constituted a lawful fence, or to allow said animal to run at large beyond the limits of the animal owner's lands within the county, magisterial district or portion of such county wherein such boundaries have been constituted and shall be a lawful fence. Sec. 3-7. Maintenance of animals and fowl. (a) Each stable, pen, coop, or other place where any animal or fowl is kept, shall be maintained at all times in a safe and sanitary condition and so as not to constitute a nuisance. Solid and liquid waste matter shall be removed therefrom not less than twice each week, and more frequently if necessary, to eliminate offensive odors or to prevent accumulations constituting a hazard to the health or safety of any person, animal or fowl. (b) Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Sec. 3-8. Prohibition of keeping or exhibiting wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animals within the County of Gloucester. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, exhibit, or permit to be kept or exhibited upon any property within the county limits, any wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal without a permit from an animal control officer. In no case, however, shall any such wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal(s) be exhibited, displayed, or kept in such a manner so as to permit said animal(s) to escape, be at large, or to otherwise come in direct physical contact with any person unless under the direct care and control of the handler. The provisions of this section shall not apply to: (1) Institutions accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). (2) Registered nonprofit humane societies.
  • 17. (3) Animal control officers or law enforcement officers acting under the authority of this article. (4) Veterinary hospitals or clinics. (5) Any wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the state. (6) Any wildlife sanctuary. (7) Any licensed or accredited research or medical institution. (8) Any licensed or accredited educational institution. (9) Any circus, rodeo or tradeshow. (10) A person temporarily transporting an exotic animal through the county if the transit time is not more than ninety-six (96) hours and the animal is at all times maintained within a confinement sufficient to prevent the exotic animal from escaping. (b) The owner or custodian of any wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal shall apply to the animal control department within ten (10) working days of obtaining an address within the county or in the case of an exhibition, ten (10) working days prior to the exhibition, for a permit authorizing the keeping of said animal within the county limits. Each applicant for a wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal permit shall, by affidavit and/or supporting written documentation, provide the following: (1) Name and street address of each owner(s)/custodian(s), eighteen (18) years of age or older; (2) Location of animal(s) storage facility; (3) The common and scientific name of the subject animal(s); (4) The date of acquisition of each animal; (5) The source of acquisition of each animal; (6) The sex, age, height and/or length of each animal; (7) Any identifying marks or numbers unique to each animal; (8) A statement of understanding signed by the owner(s)/custodian(s) concerning human exposures in relation to the current state and local laws involving rabies control;
  • 18. (9) Verifiable documentation that the animal was brought into the country legally. Proof the animal was purchased from a reputable dealer or pet store may constitute sufficient proof. The animal control officer has final authority in determining what constitutes sufficient proof; (10) A current veterinarian's certificate confirming the animal is disease free; (11) The current phone number and street address of owner(s)/custodians(s) and animal(s), if storage location differs from residence of owner(s)/custodian(s); (12) At least one (1) emergency phone number where owner(s)/custodian(s) can be contacted in case of emergency; (13) Proof the owner has a secure pen, cage or enclosure of sufficient size and strength to provide adequate shelter for the animal and to reasonably protect the public; and (14) Where required by section 29.1-542 of the Code of Virginia, a copy of the special permit from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. (c) The permit shall not be transferable and shall be valid through December 31 of the year of issue and shall be renewed by January 31 of each subsequent year. Permits for temporary exhibit shall be valid for the time period specified in the permit. One (1) permit per address will be required within the County of Gloucester. On the permit shall be listed each animal held within the county limits as identified in subsection (b). The County of Gloucester's wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal permit shall be required in addition to any required federal or state permits. Information supplied on such permit shall be provided to relevant county departments as notification for public health and safety purposes. No permit for an exotic animal will be issued by the animal control department unless all required special permits from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for wolves, coyotes, or birds or animals otherwise classified by the commission as predatory or undesirable have been obtained by the owner or custodian of the exotic animal. It shall be the responsibility of the owner or custodian of the exotic animal to provide a valid copy of the special permit to the animal
  • 19. control department at the time the request for local exotic animal permit is made. (d) It shall be unlawful to release, or permit to be released, any wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal(s) into the wild. (e) The initial fee to cover the cost of the permit issuance shall be fifty dollars ($50.00) per address. A charge of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) will be collected for annual permit renewal, the adding of additional animals to an existing permit, or the duplication of an existing permit. (f) It shall be unlawful for any person to furnish false information for the purpose of obtaining a permit pursuant to subsection (b). Any permit obtained under fraudulent pretenses shall be null and void with any animals named thereon subject to impoundment by an animal control officer pending a determination by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the appropriate disposition of said animal(s). Upon redemption of the animal, the owner shall pay impoundment fees of fifty dollars ($50.00); boarding fees of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per day; and any additional costs for medical care or treatment. (g) Any person applying for a wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal permit shall provide evidence of surety bond or liability insurance or bond in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) which covers incidences or occurrences involving the wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animals. (h) The animal control officer or his designee may reject an application for a wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal permit, renewal of a permit, or the addition of an animal to an existing permit for any of the following reasons: (1) Failure to comply with or supply any information required in subsection (b); (2) Falsification of any information required in subsection (b); (3) Previous or current violations of any provisions of this section; (4) Previous or current violations of any local, state, or federal law relating to animals; or (5) The history or demonstration of a vicious or dangerous nature of an animal.
  • 20. (i) The animal control officer, or his designee, may revoke a wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal permit and impound the animal(s) for any of the following reasons: (1) Failure to comply with the terms of this section; (2) Falsification of any information required in subsection (b); or (3) Violation of any local, state or federal law applicable to animals. (j) The permittee shall post a placard provided by the animal control officer in an area of public view on any premises, building or structure where the wild, exotic, venomous, or poisonous animal is kept or housed. Failure to post the placard shall be a violation of this section. Sec. 3-9. Infectious or contagious diseases among animals and poultry; duty of owners and custodians; procedure for establishing quarantine. (a) It shall be the duty of any person owning or having the custody of any animal or poultry within the county, upon ascertaining that such animal or fowl may be afflicted with a contagious or infectious disease, to forthwith give notice thereof to the health director. (b) The health director, upon receipt of such notice, shall then cause an investigation to be made to determine whether quarantine lines should be established within any part of the county, and upon an affirmative finding, the health director shall forthwith give notice to the state veterinarian as to the facts determined by such investigation, for such action as the state veterinarian may deem appropriate under the provisions of sections 3.2-6000 through 3.2-6030 of the Code of Virginia. (c) Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Sec. 3-10. Same--Transporting or conveying custody or possession of animal or fowl exposed to disease. It shall be unlawful for any person to drive, or by any other means, to transport beyond his own property or to sell, give away, or otherwise convey the possession or custody of any animal or fowl, knowing or having reason to know that such animal or fowl has, or has been exposed to, any infectious or contagious disease; provided, that nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the transportation of any animal or fowl to a veterinarian's office, animal hospital, or other place for care or treatment, or to
  • 21. prohibit the custody of such animal or fowl by a licensed veterinarian or other person qualified to render care or treatment to such animal or fowl. Sec. 3-11. Notification by individuals finding companion animals. (a) Any individual who finds a companion animal and (i) provides care or safekeeping, or (ii) retains a companion animal in such a manner as to control its activities shall, within forty-eight (48) hours: (1) Make a reasonable attempt to notify the owner of the companion animal, if the owner can be ascertained from any tag, license, collar, tattoo, microchip, or other form of identification or markings, or if the owner of the animal is otherwise known to the individual; and (2) Notify the animal control department and inform them where the companion animal was found and provide contact information, including a name, a contact telephone number, a description of the animal, including information from any tag, license, collar, tattoo, microchip, or other identification or markings, and the location where the companion animal was found. (b) If any individual finds a companion animal and (i) provides care or safekeeping, or (ii) retains a companion animal in such a manner as to control its activities, the individual shall comply with the provisions of section 3.2-6503 of the Code of Virginia and section 3-15 of this article. (c) Any individual who violates this section shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) per companion animal. Sec. 3-12. Releasing agencies registration required. (a) All releasing agencies operating within the county shall register annually, not later than January 31 of each year, with the animal control department. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a releasing agency that has registered as such annually with the local animal control department, to own a dog four (4) months old or older in the county or state unless such dog is licensed, as required by the provisions of this chapter. Sec. 3-13. Cruelty to animals. (a) Any person who:
  • 22. (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 food, drink, shelter, or emergency veterinary treatment; (3) Sores any equine for any purpose or administers drugs or medications to alter or mask such soring for the purpose of sale, show, or exhibition of any kind, unless such administration of drugs or medications is within the context of a veterinary client- patient relationship and solely for therapeutic purposes; (4) Willfully sets on foot, instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any animal; (5) 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 (6) 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. (b) Subsequent violations punishable as a Class 6 felony shall be charged under section 3.2-6570(B) of the Code of Virginia. (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the dehorning of cattle conducted in a reasonable and customary manner. (d) For the purposes of this section the word animal shall be construed to include birds and fowl. (e) This section shall not prohibit authorized wildlife management activities or hunting, fishing, or trapping as regulated under the other titles of the Code of Virginia including, but not limited to, Title 29.1, or to farming activities as provided under Title 3.2 or regulations promulgated thereunder. (f) In addition to the penalties provided in subsection (a), the court may, in its discretion, require any person convicted of a violation of subsection (a) to attend an anger management or other appropriate treatment program or obtain psychiatric or psychological counseling. The
  • 23. court may impose the costs of such a program or counseling upon the person convicted. (g) It is unlawful for any person to kill a domestic dog or cat for the purpose of obtaining the hide, fur, or pelt of the dog or cat. A violation of this subsection shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor. A second or subsequent violation of this subsection shall be charged under section 3.2-6570(E) of the Code of Virginia. (h) Any person who (i) tortures, willfully inflicts inhumane injury or pain not connected with bona fide scientific or medical experimentation, or cruelly and unnecessarily beats, maims, or mutilates any dog or cat that is a companion animal whether belonging to him or another and (ii) as a direct result causes the death of such dog or cat that is a companion animal, or the euthanasia of such animal on the recommendation of a licensed veterinarian upon determination that such euthanasia was necessary due to the condition of the animal, punishable as a Class 6 felony, shall be charged under section 3.2-6570(F) of the Code of Virginia. If a dog or cat is attacked on its owner's property by a dog so as to cause injury or death, the owner of the injured dog or cat may use all reasonable and necessary force against the dog at the time of the attack to protect his dog or cat. Such owner may be presumed to have taken necessary and appropriate action to defend his dog or cat and shall therefore be presumed not to have violated this subsection. (i) Any person convicted of violating this section may be prohibited by the court from possession or ownership of companion animals. Sec. 3-14. Use of fireworks causing injury to animals. It shall be unlawful to set off or use any fireworks that result in an injury to any animal caused by direct contact with the fireworks or if the animal injured itself from fear of the fireworks. Sec. 3-15. Failure to perform duties of ownership. Care of companion animals; penalty. (a) Each owner or custodian of an animal shall provide for each of his companion animals all the following as defined in section 3.2-6500 of the Code of Virginia: (1) Adequate feed; (2) Adequate water;
  • 24. (3) Adequate shelter that is properly cleaned and sanitized; (4) Adequate space in the primary enclosure for the particular type of animal depending upon its age, size, species, and weight; (5) Adequate exercise; (6) Adequate care, treatment and transportation; and (7) Veterinary care when needed for disease control or to prevent suffering or disease transmission. The provisions of this section shall also apply to every an owner or custodian of any animal, fowl, or reptile, including every private owner, animal shelter or other releasing agency, and every foster care provider, pound, dealer, pet shop, exhibitor, kennel, groomer, and boarding establishment. This section shall not require that animals used as food for other animals be euthanized. (b) Game and wildlife species shall be cared for in accordance with current regulations promulgated by the Virginia Department of Games and Inland Fisheries. (c) Violation of this section is a Cclass 4 misdemeanor. A second or subsequent violation of section 3-15 (a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) is a class 2 misdemeanor; and a second or subsequent violation of section 3-15 (a)(4), (5) or (6) is a class 3 misdemeanor. Sec. 3-15.1. Care of agricultural animals; penalty. (a) Each owner or custodian shall provide for each of his agricultural animals: (1) Feed to prevent malnourishment; (2) Water to prevent dehydration; and (3) Veterinary treatment as needed to address impairment of health or bodily function when such impairment cannot be otherwise addressed through animal husbandry, including humane destruction. (b) The provisions of this section shall not require an owner to provide feed or water when such is customarily withheld, restricted, or apportioned pursuant to a farming activity or if otherwise prescribed by a veterinarian.
  • 25. (c) There shall be a rebuttable presumption that there has been no violation of this section if an owner is unable to provide feed, water, or veterinary treatment due to an act of God. (d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to agricultural animals used for bona fide medical or scientific experimentation. (e) A violation of this section is a class 4 misdemeanor. Sec. 3-15.12. Abandonment of animals. It shall be unlawful for any owner or custodian to abandon any dog, cat, or any other animal or fowl or reptile in any public place, including the right-of-way of any public highway, road or street, or on the property of another. Sec. 3-16. Allowing animals to defecate on public property or on private property of other persons. It shall be unlawful for any owner or person in control of any animal to allow any animal to defecate on the property of other persons without their consent or that of the authorized agent or person having control of the premises or on public property. Immediate removal and sanitary disposal of the defecated matter shall not constitute a violation of this section. The defecated matter shall be placed in a container and disposed of in a proper waste receptacle. Sec. 3-17. Animals riding in open vehicles. It shall be unlawful for the operator of any motor vehicle on a pubic road to place or keep an animal in any portion of such vehicle that is open in such a manner so as to permit such animal to jump out of or escape the vehicle or to be thrown from the vehicle by acceleration or stopping of the vehicle or by an accident involving the vehicle. The prohibited portions of a motor vehicle shall include, but not be limited to: (1) The open bed of a truck or upon a motorcycle; or (2) The rear storage portion of a vehicle with the tailgate, truck, or hatchback portion open or down. For the purposes of this section, the operator of a motor vehicle shall be deemed to have control of any animal found there. Sec. 3-18. Animals in enclosed vehicles.
  • 26. (a) It shall be unlawful to leave any animal in an enclosed a vehicle without the benefit of air conditioning when the outside temperature reaches eighty (80) degrees fahrenheit or greater. (b) Any person who confines an animal in an unattended, enclosed vehicle so as to cause the animal to suffer from heat stress, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The animal control officer or other officer shall have the authority to remove any animal found in an enclosed vehicle that appears to be suffering from heat stress. The animal shall be provided immediate veterinary care. The animal owner or custodian shall be responsible for all expenses incurred during the removal of the animal or its subsequent treatment and impoundment. (c) In the event that the person responsible for the violation cannot be ascertained, the registered owner of the vehicle, as required by Chapter 6 of Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia, shall constitute in evidence a prima facie presumption that such registered owner was the person who committed the violation. Sec. 3-19. Seizure and impoundment of animals. (a) Any humane investigator, law enforcement official officer or animal control officer may lawfully seize and impound any animal, fowl, or reptile that has been abandoned, has been cruelly treated, or is suffering from an apparent violation of this article that has rendered the animal in such condition as to constitute a direct and immediate threat to its life, safety, or health. Such seizure and impoundment shall be effected consistent with the provisions of Va. Code § 3.2-6569. (b) If the owner or custodian of any companion animal which has been impounded can be reasonably ascertained, that person shall be given notice of the impoundment. Prior to redemption of the animal, the owner or custodian shall pay to the county an impoundment fee of twenty dollars ($20.00), and a boarding fee of ten dollars ($10.00) per day for each day the animal remains impounded, for each animal impounded. All fees and medical expenses accrued shall be paid to the treasurer’s office prior to release of the animal to the owner. Sec. 3-20. Impoundment and redemption of livestock found at large.
  • 27. The animal control officer shall take up and impound any livestock found running at large in violation of this article or any provision of the Code of Virginia. If the owner or custodian of any livestock so impounded can be ascertained, that person shall be given notice of such impoundment. Upon redemption of the livestock, the owner or custodian shall pay an impoundment fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each and every time the same animal is impounded, and a boarding fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per day for each day that the animal remains impounded in the county's facility or other designated facility. The owner or custodian of any livestock so impounded shall also pay all additional expenses incurred as a result of impoundment to include veterinary fees and needed special foods and medications. Any owner who requests the assistance of the animal control department to aid in the capture of their livestock shall be liable for all expenses incurred by the animal control department. The owner of any animal, fowl, or reptile impounded pursuant to this chapter shall be required to pay an impound fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00), boarding fees of ten dollars ($10.00) per day, and costs of any necessary medical care or treatment. All fees accrued shall be paid to the treasurer's office prior to the release of the animal, fowl, or reptile to the owner. The owner of any animal held pursuant to this article for more than thirty (30) days is required to post surety with Gloucester County for the amount of the cost of boarding the animal until the appropriate hearing can be concluded in the appropriate court, but in no case shall such time exceed nine (9) months. Sec. 3-21. Casting carcass in road; disposition of carcasses. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to cast any dead animal or fowl into the road, or knowingly permit any dead animal or fowl to remain unburied upon his property when offensive to the public, or have in custody any maimed, diseased, disabled, or infirm animal or fowl, or to leave it to lie or be in a street, road, or public place. (b) The owner of any animal or grown fowl which has died, when he knows of such death, shall forthwith have its body cremated, buried, or sanitarily disposed of, and if he fails to so do, after notice to the owner if he can be ascertained, the animal control officer or other officer shall cause any such dead animal or fowl to be cremated or buried, and the officer shall be entitled to recover from the owner of every such animal or grown fowl so cremated or buried, the actual cost of such cremation or burial to be recovered in the same manner as officers' fees are recovered, free from all exemptions in favor of such owner.
  • 28. Sec. 3-22. Bird sanctuaries. (a) Upon approval by the board of supervisors, a group of private citizens may post the boundary lines of an area of the county that has been designated as a bird sanctuary by the county with signs giving notice that the land so posted is a bird sanctuary and that killing, wounding or molesting birds, and molesting bird nests is unlawful. (b) When signs are posted along the boundary lines of an area of the county in compliance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, it shall be unlawful for any person to kill, wound, or molest any bird or to molest any bird's nest within such sanitary district, or to permit any dog under the person's care and control to hunt therein. (c) The following areas of the county are declared bird sanctuaries: (1) Gloucester Sanitary District No. 1 (approximately seven hundred fifty (750) acres covering most of the core of the courthouse village area). (2) Goshen, Abingdon Magisterial District. For a more particular description, reference is made to that certain plat of survey prepared by Dawson, Phillips, Dischinger and Associates; engineers and surveyors, Gloucester, Virginia, dated January 9, 1987, entitled "Plat Showing Survey of the Land of Edwin A. Joseph, Located in the Ware District of Gloucester County, Virginia", and recorded in the clerk's office of the Circuit Court of Gloucester County, Virginia, in Clerk's Plat Book 21, pages 879, 879A and 879B. Secs. 3-23--3-27. Reserved. ARTICLE II. DOGS DIVISION I. GENERALLY Sec. 3-28. Animal control officers and deputies to enforce article and applicable provisions of state dog laws. Pursuant to the provisions of section 3.2-6555 of the Code of Virginia, the animal control officer and his deputies shall enforce the provisions of this article and the applicable provisions of the comprehensive animal laws, Title 3.2, Chapter 65 of the Code of Virginia, within this county, under the general supervision of the county administrator.
  • 29. Sec. 3-29. Penalty for violation of Article II. A violation of this article shall be deemed a Class 3 misdemeanor, unless a different class or punishment is provided therefor. Sec. 3-30. License required; unlicensed dogs prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to own or have in his custody within the county, a dog four (4) months or more of age, unless such dog is licensed as provided in this article. Sec. 3-31. Amount of license tax, kennel tax; exemptions. (a) The license tax shall be as follows: Dog(Male or Female) Type of LicenseTax RabiesCertificate* (up to three (3) years) Unneutered/unspayed One (1) year $10.00 Multiyear 25.00 (up to three (3) years) Neutered/spayed* One (1) year 3.00 Multiyear 8.00 *Evidence from a licensed veterinarian required. Abatement of the multiyear license tax will be made only in cases where the rabies certificate expires in less than twelve (12) months. In those cases, the tax applicable to a one-year certificate will be imposed. (1) The annual tax for dog kennels shall be as follows: Number of Dogs** License Tax Up to: 5-10 $50.00 20 100.00 30 150.00 40 200.00 50 250.00 **Kennel licenses shall be sold in blocks of ten (10). Duplicate licenses to replace current previously purchased licenses shall be issued by the treasurer's office for one dollar ($1.00) per tag.
  • 30. (b) No license tax shall be levied on any dog that is trained and serves as a guide dog for a blind person, or that is trained and serves as a hearing dog for a deaf or hearing-impaired person, or that is trained and serves as a service dog for a mobility-impaired person. As used in this section, the term "hearing dog" means a dog trained to alert its owner by touch, to sounds of danger and sounds to which the owner should respond, and a "service dog" means a dog trained to accompany its owner for the purpose of carrying items, retrieving objects, pulling a wheelchair, or other such activities of service or support. Sec. 3-32. When license tax due and payable. (a) The license tax for each dog is due no later than thirty (30) days after a dog has reached the age of four (4) months, or no later than thirty (30) days after an owner acquires a dog four (4) months of age or older. Such license tax shall cover a license period which runs concurrently with the rabies vaccination and shall expire upon expiration of the current rabies vaccination. (b) All kennel licenses shall be due on January 1 and not later than January 31 of each year. (c) It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to fail to pay the license tax when due. Upon conviction of any owner for a violation of this provision, in addition to any penalty imposed, the court may order the confiscation and proper disposition of the dog. Sec. 3-33. Certification of inoculation or vaccination prerequisite for issuance of license. (a) No license shall be issued for any dog pursuant to section 3-31, unless at the time of application the applicant presents to the treasurer's office a certificate issued by a currently licensed veterinarian or currently licensed veterinary technician who was under the immediate and direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian on the premises. Such certificate shall be valid on the date of application and shall show that such dog has been inoculated or vaccinated against rabies. The license period shall cover the timeframe which runs concurrently with the rabies vaccination and shall expire upon expiration of the current rabies vaccination. (b) No metal tag shall be issued for any dog subject to a kennel license issued pursuant to section 3-31, unless at the time of application the
  • 31. applicant presents to the treasurer's office a certificate issued by a currently licensed veterinarian or currently licensed veterinary technician who was under the immediate and direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian on the premises. Such certificate shall be valid on the date of application and shall show that such dog has been inoculated or vaccinated against rabies. The metal tag shall be valid for the period of the kennel license or until the expiration of the current rabies vaccination, whichever occurs first. Sec. 3-34. Issuance and design of license tag; required wearing of tag. (a) Upon receipt of a proper application, current certificate(s) of vaccination, as required by section 3-51 and prescribed license tax, the treasurer's office shall issue a dog or kennel license. (b) Each dog license shall consist of a license tax receipt and a metal tag. (c) Each kennel license shall consist of a license tax receipt and metal tags. Metal kennel tags shall only be issued for the number of dogs that the owner can show satisfactory evidence have been vaccinated against rabies as required in section 3-51. All other unused kennel tags will be held by the treasurer's office to be given to the owner of said kennel license, if they wish to license additional vaccinated dogs. (d) On such receipt, the treasurer's office shall record the name and address of the owner or custodian, the date of payment, the period for which the license is issued, the serial number of the tag, and whether male, female, unsexed, or kennel. The receipt information shall be retained by the treasurer's office, open to public inspection, during the period for which such license is valid. (e) The metal license tag shall be stamped or permanently marked to show that it was issued by Gloucester County, Virginia, and to show the serial number. (f) The metal license tag shall be affixed to the collar of the dog to which it relates, and must be worn by such dog at all times except: (1) When the dog is competing in a dog show; or (2) When the dog has a skin condition which would be exacerbated by the wearing of a collar. Sec. 3-35. Payment of license tax subsequent to summons.
  • 32. Payment of the license tax subsequent to a summons to appear before a court for failure to do so within the time required, shall not operate to relieve such owner from the penalties or court costs provided under Va. Code §§ 16.1- 69.48:1 or 17.1-275.1. Sec. 3-36. Effect of dog not wearing collar bearing metal license tag as evidence. Any dog not wearing a collar bearing a valid metal license tag shall prima facie be deemed to be unlicensed, and in any proceedings under this article the burden of proof of the fact that such dog has been licensed, or is otherwise not required to bear a tag at the time, shall be on the owner of the dog. Sec. 3-37. Impoundment and redemption of dogs found at large without metal license tag. The animal control officer shall seize and impound, at a facility designated for such purpose by the board of supervisors, any dog found running at large without wearing a valid metal license tag, and any other dog requiring impoundment by any provision of this Code or any provision of the Code of Virginia. If the owner or custodian of any dog so impounded can be ascertained, that person shall be given notice of such impoundment. Prior to redemption of the dog, the owner or custodian shall pay an impoundment fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) for each and every time the same animal is impounded, and a boarding fee of ten dollars ($10.00) per day for each day that the animal remains impounded in the county's facility. All fees and medical expenses accrued shall be paid to the treasurer's office prior to the release of the dog to the owner. Sec. 3-38. Dangerous and vicious dogs. (a) As used in this section: (1) Dangerous dog means a canine or canine crossbreed that has bitten, attacked, or inflicted injury on a person or companion animal that is a dog or cat, or killed a companion animal that is a dog or cat. However, when a dog attacks or bites a companion animal that is a dog or cat, the attacking or biting dog shall not be deemed dangerous: a. If no serious physical injury as determined by a licensed veterinarian has occurred to the dog or cat as a result of the attack or bite;
  • 33. b. If both animals are owned by the same person; c. If such attack occurs on the property of the attacking or biting dog's owner or custodian; or d. For other good cause as determined by the court. No dog shall be found to be a dangerous dog as a result of biting, attacking, or inflicting injury on a dog or cat while engaged with an owner or custodian as part of lawful hunting or participating in an organized, lawful dog-handling event. No dog that has bitten, attacked, or inflicted injury on a person shall be found to be a dangerous dog if the court determines, based on the totality of the evidence before it, that the dog is not dangerous or a threat to the community. (2) Vicious dog means a canine or canine crossbreed that has: a. Killed a person; b. Inflicted serious injury to a person, including multiple bites, serious disfigurement, serious impairment of health, or serious impairment of a bodily function; or c. Continued to exhibit the behavior that resulted in a previous finding by a court or on or before July 1, 2006, by an animal control officer as authorized by local ordinance, that it is a dangerous dog, provided that its owner has been given notice of that finding. (b) Any law enforcement officer or animal control officer who has reason to believe that a canine or canine crossbreed within the county is a dangerous dog or vicious dog shall apply to a magistrate serving the county for the issuance of a summons requiring the owner or custodian, if known, to appear before the general district court at a specified time. The summons shall advise the owner of the nature of the proceeding and the matters at issue. If a law enforcement officer successfully makes an application for the issuance of a summons, he shall contact the local animal control officer and inform him of the location of the dog and the relevant facts pertaining to his belief that the dog is dangerous or vicious. The animal control officer shall confine the animal until such time as evidence shall be heard and a verdict rendered. If the animal control officer determines that the owner or custodian can confine the animal in a manner that protects the public safety, he may permit the
  • 34. owner or custodian to confine the animal until such time as evidence shall be heard and a verdict rendered. The court, through its contempt powers, may compel the owner, custodian or harborer of the animal to produce the animal. If, after hearing the evidence, the court finds that the animal is a dangerous dog, the court shall order the animal's owner to comply with the provisions of this section. If, after hearing the evidence, the court finds that the animal is a vicious dog, the court shall order the animal euthanized in accordance with the provisions of section 3.2-6562 of the Code of Virginia. The court, upon finding the animal to be a dangerous or vicious dog, may order the owner, custodian, or harborer thereof to pay restitution for actual damages to any person injured by the animal or whose companion animal was injured or killed by the animal. The procedure for appeal and trial shall be the same as provided by law for misdemeanors. Trial by jury shall be as provided in Article 4 (section 19.2-260 et seq.) of Chapter 15 of Title 19.2 of the Code of Virginia. The commonwealth or county shall be required to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. (c) No canine or canine crossbreed shall be found to be a dangerous dog or vicious dog solely because it is a particular breed, nor is the ownership of a particular breed of canine or canine crossbreed prohibited. No animal shall be found to be a dangerous dog or vicious dog if the threat, injury or damage was sustained by a person who was: (1) Committing, at the time, a crime upon the premises occupied by the animal's owner or custodian; (2) Committing, at the time, a willful trespass upon the premises occupied by the animal's owner or custodian; or (3) Provoking, tormenting, or physically abusing the animal, or can be shown to have repeatedly provoked, tormented, abused, or assaulted the animal at other times. No police dog that was engaged in the performance of its duties as such at the time of the acts complained of shall be found to be a dangerous dog or a vicious dog. No animal that, at the time of the acts complained of, was responding to pain or injury, or was protecting itself, its kennel, its offspring, a person, or its owner's or custodian's property, shall be found to be a dangerous dog or a vicious dog. (d) If the owner of an animal found to be a dangerous dog is a minor, the custodial parent or legal guardian shall be responsible for complying with all requirements of this section.
  • 35. (e) The owner of any animal found to be a dangerous dog shall, within ten (10) forty-five (45) days of such finding, obtain a dangerous dog registration certificate from the animal control department after a fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($100.00) ($150.00) is paid to the treasurer's office, in addition to other fees that may be authorized by law. The treasurer's office shall also provide the owner with a uniformly designed tag that identifies the animal as a dangerous dog. The owner shall affix the tag to the animal's collar and ensure that the animal wears the collar and tag at all times. All By January 31 of each year, until such time as the dangerous dog is deceased, all certificates obtained pursuant to this subsection shall be renewed annually for the same fee shall be updated and renewed for a fee of eighty-five dollars ($85.00) and in the same manner as the initial certificate was obtained. The animal control officer shall provide a copy of the dangerous dog registration certificate and verification of compliance to the state veterinarian post registration information on the Virginia Dangerous Dog Registry. (f) All dangerous dog registration certificates or renewals thereof required to be obtained under this section shall only be issued to persons eighteen (18) years of age or older who present satisfactory evidence: (1) Of the animal's current rabies vaccination, if applicable; (2) That the animal has been neutered or spayed; and (3) That the animal is and will be confined in a proper enclosure, or is and will be confined inside the owner's residence, or is and will be muzzled and confined in the owner's fenced-in yard until the proper enclosure is constructed. In addition, owners who apply for certificates or renewals thereof under this section shall not be issued a certificate or renewal thereof unless they present satisfactory evidence that: a. Their residence is and will continue to be posted with clearly visible signs warning both minors and adults of the presence of a dangerous dog on the property; and b. The animal has been permanently identified by means of a tattoo on the inside thigh or by electronic implantation. All certificates or renewals thereof required to be obtained under this section shall only be issued to persons who present satisfactory evidence that the owner has liability insurance coverage, to the value of at least one hundred
  • 36. thousand dollars ($100,000.00), that covers animal bites. The owner may obtain and maintain a bond in surety, in lieu of liability insurance, to the value of at least one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00). (g) While on the property of its owner, an animal found to be a dangerous dog shall be confined indoors or in a securely enclosed and locked structure of sufficient height and design to prevent its escape or direct contact with or entry by minors, adults, or other animals. The structure shall be designed to provide the animal with shelter from the elements of nature. When off its owner's property, an animal found to be a dangerous dog shall be kept on a leash and muzzled in such a manner as not to cause injury to the animal or interfere with the animal's vision or respiration, but so as to prevent it from biting a person or another animal. (h) The owner of any dog found to be dangerous shall register the animal with the Commonwealth of Virginia Dangerous Dog Registry, as established under section 3.2-6542 of the Code of Virginia, within forty- five (45) days of such a finding by a court of competent jurisdiction. The owner shall also cause the local animal control officer to be promptly notified of: (1) The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all owners; (2) All of the means necessary to locate the owner and the dog at any time; (3) Any complaints or incidents of attack by the dog upon any person or cat or dog; (4) Any claims made or lawsuits brought as a result of any attack; (5) Tattoo or chip identification information or both; (6) Proof of insurance or surety bond; and (7) The death of the dog. (i) After an animal has been found to be a dangerous dog, the animal's owner shall immediately, upon learning of same, cause the animal control department to be notified if the animal: (1) Is loose or unconfined;
  • 37. (2) Bites a person or attacks another animal; or (3) Is sold, given away, or dies. Any owner of a dangerous dog who relocates to a new address shall, within ten (10) days of relocating, provide written notice to the animal control department of the old address from which the animal has moved and the new address to which the animal has been moved. (j) Any owner or custodian of a canine or canine crossbreed or other animal is guilty of a: (1) Class 2 misdemeanor, if the canine or canine crossbreed previously declared a dangerous dog pursuant to this section, when such declaration arose out of a separate and distinct incident, attacks and injures or kills a cat or dog that is a companion animal belonging to another person; (2) Class 1 misdemeanor if the canine or canine crossbreed previously declared a dangerous dog pursuant to this section, when such declaration arose out of a separate and distinct incident, bites a human being or attacks a human being causing bodily injury; or (3) Class 6 felony, if any owner or custodian whose willful act or omission in the care, control, or containment of a canine, canine crossbreed, or other animal is so gross, wanton, and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life, and is the proximate cause of such dog or other animal attacking and causing serious bodily injury to any person. Such conduct shall be charged under section 3.2-6540(J)(3) of the Code of Virginia. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any animal that, at the time of the acts complained of, was responding to pain or injury, or was protecting itself, its kennel, its offspring, a person, or its owner's or custodian's property, or when the animal is a police dog that is engaged in the performance of its duties at the time of the attack. (k) The owner of any animal that has been found to be a dangerous dog, who willfully fails to comply with the requirements of this section, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. (l) All fees collected pursuant to this section, less the costs incurred by the animal control department in producing and distributing the certificates and tags required by this section and fees due to the State
  • 38. Veterinarian for maintenance of the Virginia Dog Registry, shall be paid into a special dedicated fund in the treasury of the county for the purpose of paying the expenses of any training course required under section 3.2-6556 of the Code of Virginia. Sec. 3-39. Nuisance animals. (a) It shall be unlawful for any owner or custodian of an animal to fail to exercise proper care and control of his/her animal to prevent it from becoming a public nuisance, such as, but not limited to: Excessive or continuous barking audible outside the perimeters of the owner's property; molesting of a passerby, chasing vehicles, attacking other domestic animals; or trespassing upon school grounds and public parks. (b) Any person owning or having in his possession or under his control any female dog in estrus (in season) shall exercise proper care and control over such animal to prevent it from becoming a nuisance. Allowing said animal to be at large or to be tied outside of a fenced or other enclosed area so as to attract other animals shall constitute a nuisance. (c) It shall be unlawful for any person to carry or wear any live snake or reptile in public unless such snake or reptile is securely placed in an acceptable animal carrier so as to prevent escape or injury to the snake or reptile, another animal or human being. Secs. 3-40--3-45. Reserved. DIVISION 2. DOGS RUNNING AT LARGE IN CERTAIN AREAS Sec. 3-46. Running at large; prohibited in regulated areas. (a) Any owner or custodian, whose dog is found to be running at large within the areas of the county described in the schedule of regulated areas specified in section 3-47 shall be in violation of this section. (b) For the purpose of this section, a dog shall be deemed to run at large while roaming, running, or self-hunting off the property of its owner or custodian and not controlled by its owner or custodian by a leash or lead or other means of restraint not harmful or injurious to the dog. (c) Any person who permits its dog to run at large, or remain unconfined, unrestricted, or not penned up, shall be deemed to have violated the provisions of this section. The animal control officer or law enforcement officers shall have the duty to enforce the provisions of this
  • 39. section, and any person found in violation of this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor. (d) This section shall not apply to any person who uses a dog under his direct supervision while lawfully hunting, while engaged in supervised formal obedience training class or show, or during formally sanctioned field trials. Sec. 3-47. Official schedule of restricted areas for dogs running at large. (a) All property owned or leased by the County of Gloucester (all parks and playgrounds) or the School Board of Gloucester County (all school grounds); and (b) All property in Gloucester Sanitary District No. 1 (approximately seven hundred fifty (750) acres covering most of the core of the courthouse village area); and (c) The following subdivisions/areas: Description Magisterial Subdivision/Area District * Abingdon Carter’s Cove Subdivision All sections of the subdivision Crescent Run Subdivision as shown on all plats now on Sandy and Jones Creek record in the clerk’s office of Subdivision the county circuit court and all future recorded plats of Village Knoll Subdivision sections of the subdivision appurtenant to the subdivision as it exists on February 7, 2006. Abingdon Claybank Landing Area The area and property located
  • 40. and lying between Hermitage (Virginia State Route Number 682) and the mean low water mark of the York River, being more particularly described as: bounded on the northeast by the center line of Hermitage Lane, as it runs from Aberdeen Creek in a northwesterly direction to its intersection with Clay Bank Road (Virginia State Route Number 616); on the northwest by the center line of Clay Bank Road, as it runs from its intersection with Hermitage Lane in a southwesterly direction through Clay Bank Landing to the mean low water mark of the York River; on the southwest by the shore line of the York River at mean low water, as it meanders in a southeasterly direction between Clay Bank Landing and Aberdeen Creek; and on the southeast by the point where the center line of Hermitage Lane extended intersects the shore line at mean low water of Aberdeen Creek and the York River, the
  • 41. point of beginning. Abingdon Deer Run Area** Commencing at a point on the centerline of State Route 619 at its intersection with State Route 1040; thence in a westerly direction along the centerline of Route 619 and the dirt lane which continues in a westerly direction at the terminus of Route 619 a distance of approximately 1,316 feet to an iron pipe; thence south 26 degrees 48 minutes 49 seconds east, a distance of five hundred ninety- four (594) feet to an iron pipe; thence south 25 degrees 34 minutes 22 seconds east a distance of approximately six hundred eighty (680) feet to the center of Fox Mill Run; thence in a generally southeasterly direction along the center of Fox Mill Run to its confluence with Crany Creek; thence in a generally northerly direction along the center of Crany Creek to Route 619; thence in a westerly direction along the
  • 42. centerline of Route 619 to its intersection with Route 1040, the point of beginning. Petsworth Foxhaven Subdivision All sections of the subdivision as shown on all plats now on record in the clerk’s office of the county circuit court and all future recorded plats of sections of the subdivision appurtenant to the subdivision as it exists on February 7, 2006. All sections of the subdivision as shown on all plats now on record in the clerk's office of the county circuit court and all future recorded plats of “The Commons” sections of the subdivision appurtenant to the subdivision as it exists on July 1, 2008. Ware Campfield Subdivision All sections of the subdivision as shown on all plats now on Cedar Lake Subdivision record in the clerk’s office of Founders Mill Subdivision the county circuit court and all Glen Roy Estates future recorded plats of sections of the subdivision Holly Springs Subdivision appurtenant to the subdivision
  • 43. Hunter’s Run Subdivision as it exists on February 7, 2006. Meadow Brook Subdivision Sheffield Subdivision Deer Run Area** (See Abingdon above for description) York/Gloucester Entire Districts All areas of the County lying Point York Areas as described south of a boundary line starting at Cedar Bush Creek then along Cedar Bush Road (State Route 633) to its intersection with Hickory Fork Road (State Route 614) thence southerly along U.S. Route #17 to Brays Point Road (State Route 636) then southeasterly along Brays Point Road to where it terminates at the Severn River. Gloucester Entire District Point * Magisterial District is listed to assist in locating the regulated areas only. Redistricting may result in a subdivision or area moving to another district.
  • 44. ** Portions of Deer Run Subdivision are in both Abingdon and Ware Magisterial districts. Sec. 3-48. Reserved. DIVISION 3. COMMERCIAL DOG BREEDING OPERATIONS Sec. 3-48.1. Business license required. No commercial dog breeder shall breed dogs in the county without a valid business license issued by the county. Sec. 3-48.2. Commercial dog breeding; requirements. Commercial dog breeders shall: (1) Maintain no more than fifty (50) dogs over the age of one (1) year at any time for breeding purposes; (2) Breed female dogs only: (i) after annual certification by a licensed veterinarian that the dog is in suitable health for breeding; (ii) after the dog has reached the age of eighteen (18) months; and (iii) if the dog has not yet reached the age of eight (8) years; (3) Dispose of dogs only by gift, sale, transfer, barter, or euthanasia by a licensed veterinarian; (4) Dispose of deceased dogs in accordance with section 3.2-6554 of the Code of Virginia; (5) Dispose of dog waste in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations; and (6) Maintain accurate records for at least five (5) years including: a. The date on which a dog enters the operation;
  • 45. b. The person from whom the animal was purchased or obtained, including the address and phone number of such person; c. A description of the animal, including the species, color, breed, sex, and approximate age and weight; d. Any tattoo, microchip number, or other identification number carried by or appearing on the animal; e. Each date that puppies are born to such animal and the number of puppies; f. All medical care and vaccinations provided to the animal, including certifications required by a licensed veterinarian; and g. The disposition of each animal and the date. Sec. 3-48.3. Right of entry. (a) Any animal control officer and any public health or safety official employed by the county where a commercial dog breeder resides or maintains breeding operations may, upon receiving a complaint or upon his own motion, investigate any violation of the provisions of this division. Such investigation may include (i) the inspection of the books and records of any commercial dog breeder, (ii) the inspection of any companion animal owned by the commercial dog breeder, and (iii) the inspection of any place where animals are bred or maintained. In conducting the inspection, the animal control officer may enter any premises where animals may be bred or maintained during daytime hours. (b) Any commercial dog breeder who is the subject of an investigation by an animal control officer shall, upon request, provide assistance to the animal control officer in making any inspection authorized by this section. Sec. 3-48.4. Concurrent operation of releasing agency prohibited. It is unlawful for a commercial dog breeder to operate or maintain a controlling interest in any releasing agency. Sec. 3-48.5. Penalty.