{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/55.1-2812.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/55.1-2812.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/55.1-2812.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/55.1-2812.html"}],"law_id":67599,"edition_id":1,"section_id":67599,"structure_id":15171,"section_number":"55.1-2812","catch_line":"Impounding animals","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 8-878; 1977, c. 624, \u00a7 55-308; 2019, c. 712.","full_text":"Whenever any animal is found trespassing upon any grounds enclosed by a lawful fence, the owner or tenant of such enclosed grounds shall have the right to take up and impound such animal until the damages provided for pursuant to this article have been paid, or until such animal is taken under execution by the officer as provided by \u00a7 55.1-2811. The costs of taking up and impounding such animal shall be estimated as a part of the actual damage.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":244910,"text":"Whenever any animal is found trespassing upon any grounds enclosed by a lawful fence, the owner or tenant of such enclosed grounds shall have the right to take up and impound such animal until the damages provided for pursuant to this article have been paid, or until such animal is taken under execution by the officer as provided by \u00a7 55.1-2811. The costs of taking up and impounding such animal shall be estimated as a part of the actual damage.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15171,"edition_id":1,"name":"Trespass in Crossing Lawful Fence","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14623,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:52:41","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:52:41","permalink":{"id":248235,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15171,"identifier":"4","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/4","url":"\/55.1\/V\/28\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14623,"edition_id":1,"name":"Trespasses; Fences","identifier":"28","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12708,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:57","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:57","permalink":{"id":248187,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14623,"identifier":"28","token":"55.1\/V\/28","url":"\/55.1\/V\/28\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12708,"edition_id":1,"name":"Miscellaneous","identifier":"V","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12707,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":247771,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12708,"identifier":"V","token":"55.1\/V","url":"\/55.1\/V\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12707,"edition_id":1,"name":"Property and Conveyances","identifier":"55.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":244769,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12707,"identifier":"55.1","token":"55.1","url":"\/55.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":57780,"structure_id":15171,"section_number":"55.1-2810","catch_line":"Damages for trespass by animals; punitive and double damages","url":"\/55.1-2810\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/4\/55.1-2810","metadata":false},{"id":70399,"structure_id":15171,"section_number":"55.1-2811","catch_line":"Lien on animals","url":"\/55.1-2811\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/4\/55.1-2811","metadata":false},{"id":67599,"structure_id":15171,"section_number":"55.1-2812","catch_line":"Impounding animals","url":"\/55.1-2812\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/4\/55.1-2812","metadata":false},{"id":82510,"structure_id":15171,"section_number":"55.1-2813","catch_line":"Duty to issue warrant when animal impounded","url":"\/55.1-2813\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/4\/55.1-2813","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":70399,"structure_id":15171,"section_number":"55.1-2811","catch_line":"Lien on animals","url":"\/55.1-2811\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/4\/55.1-2811","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":82510,"structure_id":15171,"section_number":"55.1-2813","catch_line":"Duty to issue warrant when animal impounded","url":"\/55.1-2813\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/4\/55.1-2813","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-2812\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 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 1977, chapter 624; in 2019, chapter 712<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":70399,"section_number":"55.1-2811","catch_line":"Lien on animals","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-2811\/"}],"permalink":{"id":248245,"object_type":"law","relational_id":67599,"identifier":"55.1-2812","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/4\/55.1-2812","url":"\/55.1-2812\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-2812\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/4\/55.1-2812","dublin_core":{"Title":"Impounding animals","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-2812","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Whenever any animal is found trespassing upon any grounds enclosed by a lawful fence, the owner or tenant of such enclosed grounds shall have the right to take up and impound such animal until the damages<\/span> provided for pursuant to this article have been paid, or until such animal is taken under execution by the officer as provided by \u00a7 55.1-2811<\/a>. The costs of taking up and impounding such animal shall be estimated as a part of the actual damage.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nIMPOUNDING ANIMALS (\u00a7 55.1-2812)\n\nWhenever any animal is found trespassing upon any grounds enclosed by a lawful\nfence, the owner or tenant of such enclosed grounds shall have the right to take\nup and impound such animal until the damages provided for pursuant to this\narticle have been paid, or until such animal is taken under execution by the\nofficer as provided by \u00a7 55.1-2811. The costs of taking up and impounding such\nanimal shall be estimated as a part of the actual damage.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 8-878; 1977, c. 624, \u00a7 55-308; 2019, c. 712.","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}}