[Code 1991, § 4-10]
A.
The animal control officer or any other officer shall have the authority
to seize, hold, and impound any:
B.
Any animal confined pursuant to this section shall be kept for a period of not less than five days, such period to commence on the day immediately following the day the animal is initially confined in the pound or other facility, unless sooner claimed by the rightful owner thereof, or, if the animal's rightful owner has surrendered all property rights in such animal and has read and signed a statement as required by § 14-35B been disposed of as provided by this article.
C.
Either a custodian of an animal or an individual who has found an
animal may qualify as owner and may claim the animal by expressing
his desire in writing to claim the animal at the expiration of the
five-day confinement period, after payment of the required license
fee. If any animal confined pursuant to this article is claimed by
its rightful owner, such owner shall only be charged with the actual
expenses incurred in keeping the animal impounded. If the rightful
owner claims the animal at any time, the custodian or finder shall
relinquish possession of the animal to the rightful owner.
D.
In addition to any other fines, forfeitures, license fees and costs for rabies inoculation imposed or required by this chapter, any owner redeeming a dog or cat or any other person adopting a dog or cat pursuant to this chapter shall pay an impoundment fee in an amount and form prescribed by the City Manager in accordance with § 14-2.
E.
Any dog or cat redeemed by its owner or custodian after impoundment
shall be inoculated for rabies within 72 hours or it may be reimpounded
and euthanized.
[Code 1991, § 4-11]
The operator or custodian of the pound shall make a reasonable effort to ascertain if any dog or other animal running at large in the City has a collar, tag, license, or tattooed identification. If such identification is found on the animal, a reasonable effort shall be made to return the animal to its owner or place the animal for adoption before humanely destroying the animal. Such animal may not be disposed of by sale or gift to a federal or state agency or a licensed federal dealer. Such identified animal shall be held for five days more than the holding period prescribed in § 14-31, unless sooner claimed by the rightful owner. If the rightful owner of any animal confined may be readily identified, the operator or custodian of the pound shall make a reasonable effort to notify the owner of the animal's confinement within the next 48 hours following its confinement. At the expiration of the holding period required for such identified animal, the animal may be delivered to any resident who proposes to adopt it as a pet and who will pay the required license fee, if any, on the animal or to any humane society or animal shelter, or to a resident of an adjacent political subdivision of the commonwealth; however, no more than two animals or a family of animals shall be delivered during any thirty-day period to any one such person.
[Code 1991, § 4-12]
Any feral dog or feral cat not bearing a collar, tag, tattoo,
or other form of identification which, based on the written certification
of a disinterested person, exhibits behavior that poses a risk of
physical injury to any person confining the animal, may be euthanized
after being kept for a period of not less than three days, at least
one of which shall be a full business day, such period to commence
on the day the animal is initially confined to the facility, unless
sooner claimed by the rightful owner. The certification of the disinterested
person shall be kept with the animal, as required by Code of Virginia,
§ 3.2-6557. For purposes of this section, a disinterested
person shall not include a person releasing or reporting the animal
to the facility.
[Code 1991, § 4-13]
No provision of this article shall prohibit the immediate destruction
of a critically injured or critically ill animal for humane purposes.
Any animal destroyed pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall
be euthanized by one of the methods prescribed or approved by the
state veterinarian. No provision of this article shall prohibit the
immediate destruction, for humane purposes, of any animal not weaned,
whether or not the animal is critically injured or critically ill.
[Code 1991, § 4-14]
A.
If an animal confined pursuant to this article has not been claimed,
it may be humanely destroyed or disposed of by:
(1)
Sale or gift to a federal or state agency or a licensed federal dealer
engaged in the regular business of buying, selling, transferring,
exchanging, or bartering companion animals and whose principal place
of business is located within the commonwealth. Any such recipient
shall agree to confine the animal for an additional period of not
less than five days;
(2)
Delivery to any humane society or animal shelter within the commonwealth;
(3)
Adoption by any person who is a resident of the City, the county,
or any other jurisdiction for which the City's pound is operated and
who has paid the required license fee, if any, on such animal;
(4)
Adoption by a resident of an adjacent political subdivision of the
commonwealth; or
(5)
Delivery, for the purposes of adoption or euthanasia only, to a humane
society or an animal shelter located in and lawfully operating under
the laws of another state, provided that such humane society or animal
shelter:
(a)
Maintains records which would comply with Code of Virginia,
§ 3.2-6557;
(b)
Requires that adopted dogs and cats be sterilized; and
(c)
Has been approved by the state veterinarian or his designee
as a facility which maintains such records, requires adopted dogs
and cats to be sterilized, and provides adequate care and euthanasia.
B.
Nothing in this article shall prohibit the immediate destruction or disposal by the methods listed in Subsection A(2) through (5) of this section of an animal that has been delivered voluntarily or released to the pound, animal shelter, animal control officer, or humane society by the animal's rightful owner after the rightful owner has, in writing, surrendered all property rights in such animal and has read and signed a statement certifying that no other person has a right of property in the animal, and acknowledging that the animal may be immediately euthanized or disposed of by the methods listed in Subsection A(2) through (5) of this section.
[Code 1991, § 4-15]
For purposes of this article, the term "animal" shall not include
agricultural animals, the term "rightful owner" shall mean a person
with a right of property in the animal, and the term "humane society,"
when referring to an organization without the commonwealth, shall
mean any nonprofit organization organized for the purpose of preventing
cruelty to animals and promoting humane care and treatment or adoption
of animals.
