{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/3.2-6565.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/3.2-6565.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/3.2-6565.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/3.2-6565.html"}],"law_id":54939,"edition_id":1,"section_id":54939,"structure_id":13900,"section_number":"3.2-6565","catch_line":"Impoundment; expenses; lien; disposition of animal","history":"1984, c. 492, \u00a7 29-213.77; 1987, c. 488, \u00a7 3.1-796.108; 1994, c. 387; 1998, c. 817; 2008, c. 860.","full_text":"When an animal control officer, humane investigator, law-enforcement officer or State Veterinarian’s representative finds that an apparent violation of this chapter has rendered an animal in such a condition as to constitute a direct and immediate threat to its life, safety or health that the owner or custodian has failed to remedy, such animal control officer, humane investigator, law-enforcement officer or State Veterinarian’s representative may impound the animal pursuant to \u00a7 3.2-6569 in a facility that will provide the elements of good care as set forth in \u00a7 3.2-6503 and shall then proceed to take such steps as are required to dispose of the animal pursuant to \u00a7 3.2-6569.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":201561,"text":"When an animal control officer, humane investigator, law-enforcement officer or State Veterinarian’s representative finds that an apparent violation of this chapter has rendered an animal in such a condition as to constitute a direct and immediate threat to its life, safety or health that the owner or custodian has failed to remedy, such animal control officer, humane investigator, law-enforcement officer or State Veterinarian’s representative may impound the animal pursuant to \u00a7 3.2-6569 in a facility that will provide the elements of good care as set forth in \u00a7 3.2-6503 and shall then proceed to take such steps as are required to dispose of the animal pursuant to \u00a7 3.2-6569.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13900,"edition_id":1,"name":"Search, Seizure, Impounding, and Enforcement","identifier":"8","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13170,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:14","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:14","permalink":{"id":198967,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13900,"identifier":"8","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8","url":"\/3.2\/V\/65\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13170,"edition_id":1,"name":"Comprehensive Animal Care","identifier":"65","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13169,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:23","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:23","permalink":{"id":198459,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13170,"identifier":"65","token":"3.2\/V\/65","url":"\/3.2\/V\/65\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13169,"edition_id":1,"name":"Domestic Animals","identifier":"V","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12793,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:23","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:23","permalink":{"id":198133,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13169,"identifier":"V","token":"3.2\/V","url":"\/3.2\/V\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12793,"edition_id":1,"name":"Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food","identifier":"3.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":193939,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12793,"identifier":"3.2","token":"3.2","url":"\/3.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":62173,"structure_id":13900,"section_number":"3.2-6564","catch_line":"Complaint of suspected violation; investigation","url":"\/3.2-6564\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8\/3.2-6564","metadata":false},{"id":54939,"structure_id":13900,"section_number":"3.2-6565","catch_line":"Impoundment; expenses; lien; disposition of animal","url":"\/3.2-6565\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8\/3.2-6565","metadata":false},{"id":68802,"structure_id":13900,"section_number":"3.2-6566","catch_line":"Preventing cruelty to animals; interference; penalty","url":"\/3.2-6566\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8\/3.2-6566","metadata":false},{"id":79880,"structure_id":13900,"section_number":"3.2-6567","catch_line":"Enforcement authority","url":"\/3.2-6567\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8\/3.2-6567","metadata":false},{"id":76161,"structure_id":13900,"section_number":"3.2-6568","catch_line":"Power of search for violations of statutes against cruelty to animals","url":"\/3.2-6568\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8\/3.2-6568","metadata":false},{"id":55376,"structure_id":13900,"section_number":"3.2-6569","catch_line":"Seizure and impoundment of animals; notice and hearing; disposition of animal; disposition of proceeds upon sale","url":"\/3.2-6569\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8\/3.2-6569","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":62173,"structure_id":13900,"section_number":"3.2-6564","catch_line":"Complaint of suspected violation; investigation","url":"\/3.2-6564\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8\/3.2-6564","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":68802,"structure_id":13900,"section_number":"3.2-6566","catch_line":"Preventing cruelty to animals; interference; penalty","url":"\/3.2-6566\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8\/3.2-6566","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/3.2-6565\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1984. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 492 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. Unfortunately, the 1984 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 1987, chapter 488; in 1994, chapter 387<\/a>; in 1998, chapter 817<\/a>; in 2008, chapter 860<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":66794,"section_number":"3.2-6506","catch_line":"Exceptions regarding veterinarians","order_by":null,"url":"\/3.2-6506\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":66904,"section_number":"3.2-6503","catch_line":"Care of companion animals by owner; penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/3.2-6503\/"},{"id":55376,"section_number":"3.2-6569","catch_line":"Seizure and impoundment of animals; notice and hearing; disposition of animal; disposition of proceeds upon sale","order_by":null,"url":"\/3.2-6569\/"}],"permalink":{"id":198973,"object_type":"law","relational_id":54939,"identifier":"3.2-6565","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8\/3.2-6565","url":"\/3.2-6565\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/3.2-6565\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8\/3.2-6565","dublin_core":{"Title":"Impoundment; expenses; lien; disposition of animal","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 3.2-6565","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

When an animal control officer<\/span>, humane investigator<\/span>, law<\/span>-enforcement officer<\/span> or State Veterinarian<\/span>’s representative finds that an apparent violation of this chapter has rendered an animal in such a condition as to constitute a direct and immediate threat<\/span> to its life, safety or health that the owner<\/span> or custodian has failed to remedy, such animal control officer<\/span>, humane investigator<\/span>, law<\/span>-enforcement officer<\/span> or State Veterinarian<\/span>’s representative may impound the animal pursuant to \u00a7 3.2-6569<\/a> in a facility<\/span> that will provide the elements of good care<\/span> as set forth in \u00a7 3.2-6503<\/a> and shall then proceed to take such steps as are required to dispose of the animal pursuant to \u00a7 3.2-6569<\/a>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nIMPOUNDMENT; EXPENSES; LIEN; DISPOSITION OF ANIMAL (\u00a7 3.2-6565)\n\nWhen an animal control officer, humane investigator, law-enforcement officer or\nState Veterinarian’s representative finds that an apparent violation of\nthis chapter has rendered an animal in such a condition as to constitute a\ndirect and immediate threat to its life, safety or health that the owner or\ncustodian has failed to remedy, such animal control officer, humane\ninvestigator, law-enforcement officer or State Veterinarian’s\nrepresentative may impound the animal pursuant to \u00a7 3.2-6569 in a facility that\nwill provide the elements of good care as set forth in \u00a7 3.2-6503 and shall\nthen proceed to take such steps as are required to dispose of the animal\npursuant to \u00a7 3.2-6569.\n\nHISTORY: 1984, c. 492, \u00a7 29-213.77; 1987, c. 488, \u00a7 3.1-796.108; 1994, c. 387;\n1998, c. 817; 2008, c. 860.","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}}