Virginia § 3.2-6540.04 Subsequent attack or bite by dangerous dog; penalty

Virginia Statutes

§ 3.2-6540.04 — Subsequent attack or bite by dangerous dog; penalty

Virginia § 3.2-6540.04

JurisdictionVirginia

Title 3.2Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food

Subtitle VDomestic Animals

Ch. 65Comprehensive Animal Care

Art. 6Authority of Local Governing Bodies

This text of Virginia § 3.2-6540.04 (Subsequent attack or bite by dangerous dog; penalty) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Va. Code Ann. § 3.2-6540.04 (2026).

Text

A.Any owner of an animal found to be a dangerous dog pursuant to § 3.2-6540, when such finding arose out of a separate and distinct incident, is guilty of a:

1.Class 2 misdemeanor if such dog attacks and injures or kills a cat or dog that is a companion animal belonging to another person; or

2.Class 1 misdemeanor if such dog bites a human being or attacks a human being causing bodily injury.

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

C.The court may determine that a person convicted under this section shall be prohib

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A. Any owner of an animal found to be a dangerous dog pursuant to § 3.2-6540, when such finding arose out of a separate and distinct incident, is guilty of a:

1. Class 2 misdemeanor if such dog attacks and injures or kills a cat or dog that is a companion animal belonging to another person; or

2. Class 1 misdemeanor if such dog bites a human being or attacks a human being causing bodily injury.

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

C. The court may determine that a person convicted under this section shall be prohibited from owning, possessing, or residing on the same property with a dog.