§ 5-29. Unlawful acts; animals running at large.

The following shall be deemed unlawful acts and constitute a class 4 misdemeanor:

(1)

Diseased dogs or cats off of owner's premises. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog or cat with a contagious or infectious disease to permit such dog or cat to stray from his premises if such disease is known to the owner.

(2)

Female dogs in season off of owner's premises. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any female dog to permit such dog to stray from his premises while such dog is known to such owner to be in season.

(3)

Removing license tag. It shall be unlawful for any person, except the owner or custodian, to remove a legally acquired license tag from a dog.

(4)

Concealing unlicensed or rabid dog. It shall be unlawful for any person to conceal or harbor any dog on which the license tax has not been paid, or to conceal a mad dog to keep it from being destroyed.

(5)

Poisoning, injuring or killing dogs. It shall be unlawful for any person, except the owner or his authorized agent, to administer poison to any dog under four months of age or any dog licensed pursuant to this article, or to expose poison where it may be taken by any such dog, or to injure, disfigure or kill any such dog except as otherwise provided in this article.

(6)

Dogs running at large. It is prohibited for any dog, except dogs used for hunting, to run at large within the county at any time during any month of the year. For the purposes of this subsection, a dog shall be deemed to run at large while roaming or running off the property of its owner or custodian and not under its owner's or custodian's immediate control. A dog shall not be deemed to be running at large if it and its owner or custodian are within a county-designated off-leash, fenced dog exercise area. Any owner who permits his dog to run at large in the county shall be deemed to have violated the provisions of this subsection. The owner or custodian of any dog found running at large in a pack shall be subject to a civil penalty of $100.00 per dog so found, in addition to the criminal penalty. For purposes of this subsection, a dog shall be deemed to be running at large in a pack if it is running at large in the company of one or more other dogs that are also running at large. A civil penalty collected pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited by the director of finance pursuant to the provisions of Code of Virginia, § 3.2-6534.

(Code 1980, § 4-21; Code 1995, § 5-34; Ord. No. 1039, § 2, 10-22-2002; Ord. No. 1161, § 1, 8-9-2011; Ord. No. 1260 , § 1, 8-13-2019)

State Law reference— Authority to prohibit dogs from running at large, Code of Virginia, § 3.2-6539; violation to be class 4 misdemeanor, Code of Virginia, § 3.2-6587(A)3; penalty for class 4 misdemeanor, Code of Virginia, § 18.2-11.

(Code 1980, § 4-21; Code 1995, § 5-34; Ord. No. 1039, § 2, 10-22-2002; Ord. No. 1161, § 1, 8-9-2011; Ord. No. 1260 , § 1, 8-13-2019)

State law reference

Authority to prohibit dogs from running at large, Code of Virginia, § 3.2-6539; violation to be class 4 misdemeanor, Code of Virginia, § 3.2-6587(A)3; penalty for class 4 misdemeanor, Code of Virginia, § 18.2-11.