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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>72037</law_id><section_number>18.2-144.2</section_number><catch_line>Prohibition against making a false representation of ownership of an animal to a public or private animal shelter; penalty</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="18.2">Crimes and Offenses Generally</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="5">Crimes Against Property</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="7">Damage to and Tampering With Property</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">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 &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/3.2-6500/">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. <a id="paragraph-259576" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-144.2/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> A violation of subsection A is a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. <a id="paragraph-259577" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-144.2/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">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 <span class="dictionary">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. <a id="paragraph-259578" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-144.2/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1994, c. 885; 2014, c. 148.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
