7655123.2-6540Virginia Decodedhttps://vacode.org2016Agriculture, Animal Care, And FoodDomestic AnimalsComprehensive Animal CareAuthority Of Local Governing Bodies.Control of dangerous dogs; penalties1993, c. 977, § 3.1-796.93:1; 1994, c. 115; 1997, cc. 582, 892; 1998, c. 817; 2000, cc. 11, 727; 2003, cc. 785, 841; 2006, cc. 837, 864, 898; 2008, cc. 360, 551, 691, 860; 2009, c. 377; 2012, cc. 107, 236; 2013, cc. 58, 732.John Dixon O'Malley v. Commonwealth of Virginia12701522016-05-03https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/3199949/john-dixon-omalley-v-commonwealth-of-virginia/ . . . dangerous pursuant to Code § 3.2-6540(A) and (B). No language in Code . . . <abbr title="Court of Appeals">COA</abbr>Settle v. Com.Record No. 1173-08-4685 S.E.2d 1822009-11-24https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1320271/settle-v-com/ . . . -796.93:1 was repealed and reenacted as Code § 3.2-6540. See 2008 Va. Acts, ch. 860. . . . <abbr title="Court of Appeals">COA</abbr>http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/3.2-6540/19.2-260Provisions of Title 8.01 apply except as provided in this article/19.2-260/3.2-6503Care of companion animals by owner; penalty/3.2-6503/3.2-6556Training of animal control officers/3.2-6556/3.2-6562Capturing, confining, and euthanizing companion animals by animal control officers; approval of drugs used/3.2-6562//3.2-6540/3.2/V/65/6/3.2-65403.2-65703.2-6581Any law-enforcement officer or animal control officer who has reason to believe that a canine or canine crossbreed within his jurisdiction is a dangerous dog shall apply to a magistrate serving the jurisdiction for the issuance of a summons requiring the owner or custodian, if known, to appear before a general district court at a specified time. The summons shall advise the owner of the nature of the proceeding and the matters at issue. If a law-enforcement officer successfully makes an application for the issuance of a summons, he shall contact the local animal control officer and inform him of the location of the dog and the relevant facts pertaining to his belief that the dog is dangerous. The animal control officer shall confine the animal until such time as evidence shall be heard and a verdict rendered. If the animal control ofsectionBB1If the owner of an animal found to be a dangerous dog is a minor, the custodial parent or legal guardian shall be responsible for complying with all requirements of this section.sectionDD1The owner shall cause the local animal control officer to be promptly notified of (i) the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all owners; (ii) all of the means necessary to locate the owner and the dog at any time; (iii) any complaints or incidents of attack by the dog upon any person or cat or dog; (iv) any claims made or lawsuits brought as a result of any attack; (v) chip identification information; (vi) proof of insurance or surety bond; and (vii) the death of the dog.sectionHH1Any owner or custodian of a canine or canine crossbreed or other animal is guilty of a:sectionJJ1 Class 2 misdemeanor if the canine or canine crossbreed previously declared a dangerous dog pursuant to this section, when such declaration arose out of a separate and distinct incident, attacks and injures or kills a cat or dog that is a companion animal belonging to another person;sectionJ1J12 Class 1 misdemeanor if the canine or canine crossbreed previously declared a dangerous dog pursuant to this section, when such declaration arose out of a separate and distinct incident, bites a human being or attacks a human being causing bodily injury; orsectionJ2J22The owner of any animal that has been found to be a dangerous dog who willfully fails to comply with the requirements of this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.Whenever an owner or custodian of an animal found to be a dangerous dog is charged with a violation of this section, the animal control officer shall confine the dangerous dog until such time as evidence shall be heard and a verdict rendered. The court, through its contempt powers, may compel the owner, custodian, or harborer of the animal to produce the animal.Upon conviction, the court may (i) order the dangerous dog to be disposed of by a local governing body pursuant to § 3.2-6562 or (ii) grant the owner up to 45 days to comply with the requirements of this section, during which time the dangerous dog shall remain in the custody of the animal control officer until compliance has been verified. If the owner fails to achieve compliance within the time specified by the court, the court shall order the dangerous dog to be disposed of by a local governing body pursuant to § 3.2-6562. The court, in its discretion, may order the owner to pay all reasonable expenses incurred in caring and providing for such dangerous dog from the time the animal is taken into custody until such time that the animal is disposed of or returned to the owner.sectionKK1All fees collected pursuant to this section, less the costs incurred by the animal control authority in producing and distributing the certificates and tags required by this section and fees due to the State Veterinarian for maintenance of the Virginia Dangerous Dog Registry, shall be paid into a special dedicated fund in the treasury of the locality for the purpose of paying the expenses of any training course required under § 3.2-6556.sectionLL1The governing body of any locality may enact an ordinance parallel to this statute regulating dangerous dogs. No locality may impose a felony penalty for violation of such ordinances.sectionMM1