{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/3.2-6585.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/3.2-6585.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/3.2-6585.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/3.2-6585.html"}],"law_id":82320,"edition_id":1,"section_id":82320,"structure_id":15561,"section_number":"3.2-6585","catch_line":"Dogs and cats deemed personal property; rights relating thereto","history":"1984, c. 492, \u00a7 29-213.95; 1987, c. 488, \u00a7 3.1-796.127; 1988, c. 537; 1998, c. 817; 2008, c. 860.","full_text":"All dogs and cats shall be deemed personal property and may be the subject of larceny and malicious or unlawful trespass. Owners, as defined in \u00a7 3.2-6500, may maintain any action for the killing of any such animals, or injury thereto, or unlawful detention or use thereof as in the case of other personal property. The owner of any dog or cat that is injured or killed contrary to the provisions of this chapter by any person shall be entitled to recover the value thereof or the damage done thereto in an appropriate action at law from such person.\n\t\tAn animal control officer or other officer finding a stolen dog or cat, or a dog or cat held or detained contrary to law, shall have authority to seize and hold such animal pending action before a general district court or other court. If no such action is instituted within seven days, the animal control officer or other officer shall deliver the dog or cat to its owner.\n\t\tThe presence of a dog or cat on the premises of a person other than its legal owner shall raise no presumption of theft against the owner, and the animal control officer may take such animal and notify its legal owner. The legal owner of the animal shall pay a reasonable charge as the local governing body by ordinance shall establish for the keep of such animal while in the possession of the animal control officer.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":294989,"text":"All dogs and cats shall be deemed personal property and may be the subject of larceny and malicious or unlawful trespass. Owners, as defined in \u00a7 3.2-6500, may maintain any action for the killing of any such animals, or injury thereto, or unlawful detention or use thereof as in the case of other personal property. The owner of any dog or cat that is injured or killed contrary to the provisions of this chapter by any person shall be entitled to recover the value thereof or the damage done thereto in an appropriate action at law from such person.\n\t\tAn animal control officer or other officer finding a stolen dog or cat, or a dog or cat held or detained contrary to law, shall have authority to seize and hold such animal pending action before a general district court or other court. If no such action is instituted within seven days, the animal control officer or other officer shall deliver the dog or cat to its owner.\n\t\tThe presence of a dog or cat on the premises of a person other than its legal owner shall raise no presumption of theft against the owner, and the animal control officer may take such animal and notify its legal owner. The legal owner of the animal shall pay a reasonable charge as the local governing body by ordinance shall establish for the keep of such animal while in the possession of the animal control officer.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15561,"edition_id":1,"name":"Miscellaneous Provisions","identifier":"12","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13170,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:56:21","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:56:21","permalink":{"id":198527,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15561,"identifier":"12","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/12","url":"\/3.2\/V\/65\/12\/","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":82320,"structure_id":15561,"section_number":"3.2-6585","catch_line":"Dogs and cats deemed personal property; rights relating thereto","url":"\/3.2-6585\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/12\/3.2-6585","metadata":false},{"id":59361,"structure_id":15561,"section_number":"3.2-6585.1","catch_line":"Duty to identify; scanning for microchip","url":"\/3.2-6585.1\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/12\/3.2-6585.1","metadata":false},{"id":64675,"structure_id":15561,"section_number":"3.2-6586","catch_line":"Dog injuring or killing other companion animals","url":"\/3.2-6586\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/12\/3.2-6586","metadata":false},{"id":83607,"structure_id":15561,"section_number":"3.2-6587","catch_line":"Unlawful acts; penalties","url":"\/3.2-6587\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/12\/3.2-6587","metadata":false},{"id":71254,"structure_id":15561,"section_number":"3.2-6588","catch_line":"Intentional interference with a guide or leader dog; penalty","url":"\/3.2-6588\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/12\/3.2-6588","metadata":false},{"id":64958,"structure_id":15561,"section_number":"3.2-6589","catch_line":"Selling garments containing dog or cat fur prohibited; penalty","url":"\/3.2-6589\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/12\/3.2-6589","metadata":false},{"id":69678,"structure_id":15561,"section_number":"3.2-6589.1","catch_line":"Certain training devices for elephants prohibited; attachment; civil penalty","url":"\/3.2-6589.1\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/12\/3.2-6589.1","metadata":false},{"id":62704,"structure_id":15561,"section_number":"3.2-6590","catch_line":"Jurisdiction of general district courts; right of appeal","url":"\/3.2-6590\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/12\/3.2-6590","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":59361,"structure_id":15561,"section_number":"3.2-6585.1","catch_line":"Duty to identify; scanning for microchip","url":"\/3.2-6585.1\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/12\/3.2-6585.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/3.2-6585\/","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 1988, chapter 537; in 1998, chapter 817<\/a>; in 2008, chapter 860<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":78689,"section_number":"3.2-6543","catch_line":"Governing body of any locality may adopt certain ordinances","order_by":null,"url":"\/3.2-6543\/"},{"id":64675,"section_number":"3.2-6586","catch_line":"Dog injuring or killing other companion animals","order_by":null,"url":"\/3.2-6586\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":86401,"section_number":"3.2-6500","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/3.2-6500\/"}],"permalink":{"id":198529,"object_type":"law","relational_id":82320,"identifier":"3.2-6585","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/12\/3.2-6585","url":"\/3.2-6585\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/3.2-6585\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/12\/3.2-6585","dublin_core":{"Title":"Dogs and cats deemed personal property; rights relating thereto","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 3.2-6585","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

All dogs and cats shall be deemed personal property and may be the subject of larceny<\/span> and malicious<\/span> or unlawful trespass. Owners<\/span>, as defined in \u00a7 3.2-6500<\/a>, may maintain any action for the killing of any such animals<\/span>, or injury thereto, or unlawful detention or use thereof as in the case of other personal property. The owner<\/span> of any dog or cat that is injured or killed contrary to the provisions of this chapter by any person shall be entitled to recover the value thereof or the damage done thereto in an appropriate action at law<\/span> from such person.\n\t\tAn animal control officer<\/span> or other officer<\/span> finding<\/span> a stolen dog or cat, or a dog or cat held or detained contrary to law<\/span>, shall have authority to seize and hold such animal pending action before a general district court<\/span> or other court<\/span>. If no such action is instituted within seven days, the animal control officer<\/span> or other officer<\/span> shall deliver the dog or cat to its owner<\/span>.\n\t\tThe presence of a dog or cat on the premises of a person other than its legal owner<\/span> shall raise no presumption<\/span> of theft against the owner<\/span>, and the animal control officer<\/span> may take such animal and notify its legal owner<\/span>. The legal owner<\/span> of the animal shall pay a reasonable charge as the local governing body by ordinance<\/span> shall establish for the keep of such animal while in the possession<\/span> of the animal control officer<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDOGS AND CATS DEEMED PERSONAL PROPERTY; RIGHTS RELATING THERETO (\u00a7 3.2-6585)\n\nAll dogs and cats shall be deemed personal property and may be the subject of\nlarceny and malicious or unlawful trespass. Owners, as defined in \u00a7 3.2-6500,\nmay maintain any action for the killing of any such animals, or injury thereto,\nor unlawful detention or use thereof as in the case of other personal property.\nThe owner of any dog or cat that is injured or killed contrary to the provisions\nof this chapter by any person shall be entitled to recover the value thereof or\nthe damage done thereto in an appropriate action at law from such person.\n\t\tAn animal control officer or other officer finding a stolen dog or cat, or a\ndog or cat held or detained contrary to law, shall have authority to seize and\nhold such animal pending action before a general district court or other court.\nIf no such action is instituted within seven days, the animal control officer or\nother officer shall deliver the dog or cat to its owner.\n\t\tThe presence of a dog or cat on the premises of a person other than its legal\nowner shall raise no presumption of theft against the owner, and the animal\ncontrol officer may take such animal and notify its legal owner. The legal owner\nof the animal shall pay a reasonable charge as the local governing body by\nordinance shall establish for the keep of such animal while in the possession of\nthe animal control officer.\n\nHISTORY: 1984, c. 492, \u00a7 29-213.95; 1987, c. 488, \u00a7 3.1-796.127; 1988, c. 537;\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}}