{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-144.2.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-144.2.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-144.2.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-144.2.html"}],"law_id":72037,"edition_id":1,"section_id":72037,"structure_id":15189,"section_number":"18.2-144.2","catch_line":"Prohibition against making a false representation of ownership of an animal to a public or private animal shelter; penalty","history":"1994, c. 885; 2014, c. 148.","full_text":"A\n\nIt shall be unlawful for any person to deliver or release any animal not owned by that person to a public or private animal shelter or humane society, as these terms are defined in § 3.2-6500, or to any other similar facility for animals, or any agent thereof, and to falsely represent to such facility or agent that such person is the owner of the animal.B\n\nA violation of subsection A is a Class 1 misdemeanor.C\n\nNo public or private animal shelter, humane society or other similar facility for animals, or the directors or employees of any such business or facility, shall, in the absence of gross negligence, be civilly liable for accepting and disposing of any animal in good faith from a person who falsely claims to be the owner of the animal.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":259576,"text":"It shall be unlawful for any person to deliver or release any animal not owned by that person to a public or private animal shelter or humane society, as these terms are defined in § 3.2-6500, or to any other similar facility for animals, or any agent thereof, and to falsely represent to such facility or agent that such person is the owner of the animal.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":259577,"text":"A violation of subsection A is a Class 1 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":259578,"text":"No public or private animal shelter, humane society or other similar facility for animals, or the directors or employees of any such business or facility, shall, in the absence of gross negligence, be civilly liable for accepting and disposing of any animal in good faith from a person who falsely claims to be the owner of the animal.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15189,"edition_id":1,"name":"Damage to and Tampering With Property","identifier":"7","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13243,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:52:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:52:50","permalink":{"id":165689,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15189,"identifier":"7","token":"18.2\/5\/7","url":"\/18.2\/5\/7\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13243,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against Property","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","permalink":{"id":165299,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13243,"identifier":"5","token":"18.2\/5","url":"\/18.2\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12972,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":164139,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12972,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":78164,"structure_id":15189,"section_number":"18.2-144","catch_line":"Maiming, killing or poisoning animals, fowl, etc","url":"\/18.2-144\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7\/18.2-144","metadata":false},{"id":60313,"structure_id":15189,"section_number":"18.2-144.1","catch_line":"Prohibition against killing or injuring police animals; 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penalty","url":"\/18.2-151.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7\/18.2-151.1","metadata":false},{"id":66527,"structure_id":15189,"section_number":"18.2-152","catch_line":"Stealing from or tampering with parking meter, vending machine, pay telephone, etc","url":"\/18.2-152\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7\/18.2-152","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":60313,"structure_id":15189,"section_number":"18.2-144.1","catch_line":"Prohibition against killing or injuring police animals; penalty","url":"\/18.2-144.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7\/18.2-144.1","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":77132,"structure_id":15189,"section_number":"18.2-145","catch_line":"Protection of homing pigeons","url":"\/18.2-145\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7\/18.2-145","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-144.2\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1994. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 885<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d 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 \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2014, chapter 148<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":86401,"section_number":"3.2-6500","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/3.2-6500\/"}],"permalink":{"id":165699,"object_type":"law","relational_id":72037,"identifier":"18.2-144.2","token":"18.2\/5\/7\/18.2-144.2","url":"\/18.2-144.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-144.2\/","token":"18.2\/5\/7\/18.2-144.2","dublin_core":{"Title":"Prohibition against making a false representation of ownership of an animal to a public or private animal shelter; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-144.2","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> It shall be unlawful for any person to deliver or release any animal not owned by that person to a public or private animal shelter or humane society, as these terms are defined in § 3.2-6500<\/a>, or to any other similar facility for animals, or any agent thereof, and to falsely represent to such facility or agent that such person is the owner of the animal. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> A violation of subsection A is a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> No public or private animal shelter, humane society or other similar facility for animals, or the directors or employees of any such business or facility, shall, in the absence of gross negligence<\/span>, be civilly liable for accepting and disposing of any animal in good faith from a person who falsely claims to be the owner of the animal. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPROHIBITION AGAINST MAKING A FALSE REPRESENTATION OF OWNERSHIP OF AN ANIMAL TO A\nPUBLIC OR PRIVATE ANIMAL SHELTER; PENALTY (\u00a7 18.2-144.2)\n\nA. It shall be unlawful for any person to deliver or release any animal not\nowned by that person to a public or private animal shelter or humane society, as\nthese terms are defined in § 3.2-6500, or to any other similar facility for\nanimals, or any agent thereof, and to falsely represent to such facility or\nagent that such person is the owner of the animal.\n\nB. A violation of subsection A is a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\nC. No public or private animal shelter, humane society or other similar facility\nfor animals, or the directors or employees of any such business or facility,\nshall, in the absence of gross negligence, be civilly liable for accepting and\ndisposing of any animal in good faith from a person who falsely claims to be the\nowner of the animal.\n\nHISTORY: 1994, c. 885; 2014, c. 148.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}