                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

MAIMING, KILLING OR POISONING ANIMALS, FOWL, ETC (§ 18.2-144)

Except as otherwise provided for by law, if any person maliciously shoot, stab,
wound or otherwise cause bodily injury to, or administer poison to or expose
poison with intent that it be taken by, any horse, mule, pony, cattle, swine or
other livestock of another, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or kill the
same, or if he do any of the foregoing acts to any animal of his own with intent
to defraud any insurer thereof, he shall be guilty of a Class 5 felony. If any
person do any of the foregoing acts to any fowl or to any companion animal with
any of the aforesaid intents, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor,
except that any second or subsequent offense shall be a Class 6 felony if the
current offense or any previous offense resulted in the death of an animal or
the euthanasia of an animal based on the recommendation of a licensed
veterinarian upon determination that such euthanasia was necessary due to the
condition of the animal, and such condition was a direct result of a violation
of this section.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 18.1-159; 1960, c. 358; 1964, c. 400; 1975, cc. 14, 15;
1977, c. 598; 1978, c. 559; 1999, c. 620.