{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/3.2-6566.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/3.2-6566.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/3.2-6566.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/3.2-6566.html"}],"law_id":68802,"edition_id":1,"section_id":68802,"structure_id":13900,"section_number":"3.2-6566","catch_line":"Preventing cruelty to animals; interference; penalty","history":"1984, c. 492, \u00a7 29-213.80; 1986, c. 362; 1987, c. 488, \u00a7 3.1-796.111; 1998, c. 817; 2008, c. 860; 2010, c. 240.","full_text":"Each animal control officer, humane investigator or State Veterinarian’s representative shall interfere to prevent the perpetration of any act of cruelty upon any animal in his presence. Any person who shall interfere with or obstruct or resist any humane investigator or State Veterinarian’s representative in the discharge of his rights, powers, and duties as authorized and prescribed by law is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":249073,"text":"Each animal control officer, humane investigator or State Veterinarian’s representative shall interfere to prevent the perpetration of any act of cruelty upon any animal in his presence. Any person who shall interfere with or obstruct or resist any humane investigator or State Veterinarian’s representative in the discharge of his rights, powers, and duties as authorized and prescribed by law is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.","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":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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/3.2-6566\/","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 5 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 1986, chapter 362; in 1987, chapter 488; in 1998, chapter 817<\/a>; in 2008, chapter 860<\/a>; in 2010, chapter 240<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":62257,"section_number":"18.2-403.3","catch_line":"Offenses involving animals \u2014 Class 4 misdemeanors","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-403.3\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":198977,"object_type":"law","relational_id":68802,"identifier":"3.2-6566","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8\/3.2-6566","url":"\/3.2-6566\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/3.2-6566\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/8\/3.2-6566","dublin_core":{"Title":"Preventing cruelty to animals; interference; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 3.2-6566","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Each animal control officer<\/span>, humane investigator<\/span> or State Veterinarian<\/span>’s representative shall interfere to prevent the perpetration of any act of cruelty upon any animal in his presence. Any person who shall interfere with or obstruct or resist any humane investigator<\/span> or State Veterinarian<\/span>’s representative in the discharge of his rights, powers, and duties as authorized and prescribed by law<\/span> is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPREVENTING CRUELTY TO ANIMALS; INTERFERENCE; PENALTY (\u00a7 3.2-6566)\n\nEach animal control officer, humane investigator or State Veterinarian’s\nrepresentative shall interfere to prevent the perpetration of any act of cruelty\nupon any animal in his presence. Any person who shall interfere with or obstruct\nor resist any humane investigator or State Veterinarian’s representative\nin the discharge of his rights, powers, and duties as authorized and prescribed\nby law is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: 1984, c. 492, \u00a7 29-213.80; 1986, c. 362; 1987, c. 488, \u00a7 3.1-796.111;\n1998, c. 817; 2008, c. 860; 2010, c. 240.","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}}