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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>84041</law_id><section_number>57-39.20</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</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="57">Religious and Charitable Matters; Cemeteries</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="3">Cemeteries</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="8">Pet Cemeteries</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Burial right</span>&#x201D; means the right of <span class="dictionary">interment</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Interment</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> of pet remains by earth burial, entombment in a mausoleum, or inurnment in a columbarium.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Operator</span>&#x201D; means any person engaged in the business of selling or offering for sale any burial or <span class="dictionary">interment</span> right in a <span class="dictionary">pet cemetery</span> and representing to the public that such cemetery, single burial or <span class="dictionary">interment</span> right therein will be perpetually cared for.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Perpetual care fund</span>&#x201D; means a fund created to provide income to a <span class="dictionary">pet cemetery</span> to provide care, maintenance, administration and embellishment of the <span class="dictionary">pet cemetery</span>.
		&#x201C;Pet&#x201D; means an animal that has been adapted or tamed to live in intimate association with or for the pleasure of people and includes but is not limited to dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, and hamsters.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Pet cemetery</span>&#x201D; means land, together with any structures, facilities, or buildings appurtenant thereto provided to members of the public for use or reservation for use for the individual <span class="dictionary">interment</span>, above or below ground, of pet remains. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Pet cemetery</span>&#x201D; does not include land used exclusively for landfilling or the communal burial of <span class="dictionary">pets</span>, but does include an area where a portion of the land is used for the communal burial of <span class="dictionary">pets</span>.</p></section></text><history>1996, c. 957.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
