§ 3.2-6511.2 Dealers; importation and sale of dogs and cats; penalty
A. No dealer, commercial dog breeder, or cat breeder shall import for sale, sell, or offer for sale, including sale for experimental purposes, any dog or cat bred by a person who has received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pursuant to enforcement of the federal Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. § 2131 et seq.) or regulations adopted thereunder, (i) a citation for a direct or critical violation or citations for three or more indirect or noncritical violations for at least two years prior to the procurement of the dog or cat or (ii) two consecutive citations for no access to the facility prior to the procurement of the dog or cat.
B. No person shall serve as an owner, director, officer, manager, operator, member of staff, or animal caregiver for a dealer, commercial dog breeder, or cat breeder if such person has been convicted of a violation of § 3.2-6570.
C. Any person violating any provision of this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor for each dog or cat imported, sold, or offered for sale.
D. As used in this section, “dealer,” “commercial dog breeder,” or “cat breeder” includes any person or entity that breeds dogs or cats regulated under federal law as research animals.
History
This law was first created in 2020. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 569 of that year’s edition of “Acts of Assembly,” the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by “The Acts of Assembly,” a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly’s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2022, chapters 94 and 95.
2020, c. 569; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 339; 2022, cc. 94, 95.