§ 3.2-6513.1 Pet shops; posting of information about dogs
A. Any pet shop that sells dogs shall place a clear and conspicuous sign near the cages in the public sales area stating: “USDA APHIS Inspection Reports Available Prior to Purchase.” The sign shall be no smaller than eight and one-half inches high by 11 inches wide, and the print shall be no smaller than one-half inch.
B. Any pet shop that sells dogs shall maintain for each dog in its possession a written record that includes the following information:
3. Any additional identifying information, including a tag, tattoo, collar number, or microchip;
4. Documentation of all inoculations, worming treatments, and other medical treatments, if known, including the date of the medical treatment, the diagnosis, and the name and title of the treatment provider;
5. For a dog obtained from a breeder or dealer, (i) the state in which the breeder and, if applicable, the dealer are located; (ii) the U.S. Department of Agriculture license number of the breeder and, if applicable, the dealer; (iii) the final inspection reports for the breeder and, if applicable, the dealer, issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture from the two years immediately before the date the pet store received the dog; and (iv) the facility where the dog was born and the transporter or carrier of the dog, if any;
6. For a dog obtained from a public animal shelter, the name of the shelter; and
7. For a dog obtained from a private animal shelter or humane society, the name of the shelter or organization and the locality in which it is located.
C. Any pet shop that sells dogs shall maintain a copy of the written record required by subsection B for at least two years after the date of sale of the dog and shall make such record available to the Office of the State Veterinarian upon reasonable notice, to any bona fide prospective purchaser upon request, and to the purchaser at the time of sale. Any such pet shop shall transmit the information required by subdivisions B 5, 6, and 7 to the local animal control officer upon request.
D. Any violation of this section, except for a violation of the requirement of subsection C to make records available to the Office of the State Veterinarian or transmit information to the local animal control officer, shall also constitute a prohibited practice under § 59.1-200 and shall be subject to the enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act (§ 59.1-196 et seq.).
History
This law was first created in 2018. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 780 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 2020, chapter 412.
2018, c. 780; 2020, c. 412.