7654043.2-6570Virginia Decodedhttps://vacode.org2016Agriculture, Animal Care, And FoodDomestic AnimalsComprehensive Animal CareCruelty To Animals.Cruelty to animals; penalty1984, c. 492, § 29-213.91; 1987, c. 488, § 3.1-796.122; 1992, c. 177; 1998, c. 817; 1999, cc. 209, 620, 645; 2002, cc. 351, 500, 583, 613; 2003, cc. 787, 788; 2004, c. 217; 2007, c. 743; 2008, c. 860; 2013, cc. 58, 732; 2015, c. 491.Any person who: (i) overrides, overdrives, overloads, tortures, ill-treats, abandons, willfully inflicts inhumane injury or pain not connected with bona fide scientific or medical experimentation, or cruelly or unnecessarily beats, maims, mutilates, or kills any animal, whether belonging to himself or another; (ii) deprives any animal of necessary food, drink, shelter or emergency veterinary treatment; (iii) sores any equine for any purpose or administers drugs or medications to alter or mask such soring for the purpose of sale, show, or exhibition of any kind, unless such administration of drugs or medications is within the context of a veterinary client-patient relationship and solely for therapeutic purposes; (iv) ropes, lassoes, or otherwise obstructs or interferes with one or more legs of an equine in order to intentionally cause it to trip or fall for the purpose of engagement in a rodeo, contest, exhibition, entertainment, or sport unless such actions are in the practice of accepted animal husbandry or for the purpose of allowing veterinary care; (v) willfully sets on foot, instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any animal; (vi) carries or causes to be carried by any vehicle, vessel or otherwise any animal in a cruel, brutal, or inhumane manner, so as to produce torture or unnecessary suffering; or (vii) causes any of the above things, or being the owner of such animal permits such acts to be done by another is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.In addition to the penalties provided in this subsection, the court may, in its discretion, require any person convicted of a violation of this subsection to attend an anger management or other appropriate treatment program or obtain psychiatric or psychological counseling. The court may impose the costs of such a program or counseling upon the person convicted.sectionAA1Any person who: (i) tortures, willfully inflicts inhumane injury or pain not connected with bona fide scientific or medical experimentation, or cruelly and unnecessarily beats, maims, mutilates or kills any animal whether belonging to himself or another; (ii) sores any equine for any purpose or administers drugs or medications to alter or mask such soring for the purpose of sale, show, or exhibit of any kind, unless such administration of drugs or medications is under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian and solely for therapeutic purposes; (iii) ropes, lassoes, or otherwise obstructs or interferes with one or more legs of an equine in order to intentionally cause it to trip or fall for the purpose of engagement in a rodeo, contest, exhibition, entertainment, or sport unless such actions are in the practice of accepted animal husbandry or for the purpose of allowing veterinary care; (iv) maliciously deprives any companion animal of necessary food, drink, shelter or emergency veterinary treatment; (v) instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any animal set forth in clauses (i) through (iv) or (vi) causes any of the actions described in clauses (i) through (v), or being the owner of such animal permits such acts to be done by another; and has been within five years convicted of a violation of this subsection or subsection A, is guilty of a Class 6 felony if the current violation or any previous violation of this subsection or subsection A 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 subsection or subsection A.sectionBB1Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the dehorning of cattle conducted in a reasonable and customary manner.sectionCC1This section shall not prohibit authorized wildlife management activities or hunting, fishing or trapping as regulated under other titles of the Code of Virginia, including Title 29.1, or to farming activities as provided under this title or regulations adopted hereunder.sectionDD1It is unlawful for any person to kill a domestic dog or cat for the purpose of obtaining the hide, fur or pelt of the dog or cat. A violation of this subsection is a Class 1 misdemeanor. A second or subsequent violation of this subsection is a Class 6 felony.sectionEE1Any person convicted of violating this section may be prohibited by the court from possession or ownership of companion animals.sectionGG1Sullivan v. Com.100431701 S.E.2d 612010-11-04https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1058119/sullivan-v-com/ . . . .1-796.122 was repealed and replaced by Code § 3.2-6570, effective October 1, 2008, subsequent to . . . <abbr title="Supreme Court of Virginia">SCV</abbr>Nicholas David Pelloni v. Commonwealth of Virginia05861512016-02-02https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/3175027/nicholas-david-pelloni-v-commonwealth-of-virginia/ . . . argues is required under Code § 3.2-6570(F). . . . <abbr title="Court of Appeals">COA</abbr>Sullivan v. Com.100431701 S.E.2d 612010-11-04https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1058119/sullivan-v-com/ . . . .1-796.122 was repealed and replaced by Code § 3.2-6570, effective October 1, 2008, subsequent to . . . <abbr title="Supreme Court of Virginia">SCV</abbr>Nicholas David Pelloni v. Commonwealth of Virginia05861512016-02-02https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/3175027/nicholas-david-pelloni-v-commonwealth-of-virginia/ . . . argues is required under Code § 3.2-6570(F). . . . <abbr title="Court of Appeals">COA</abbr>http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/3.2-6570/3.2-6540Control of dangerous dogs; penalties/3.2-6540/3.2-6540.1Vicious dogs; penalties/3.2-6540.1/3.2-6552Dogs killing, injuring, or chasing livestock or poultry/3.2-6552//3.2-6570/3.2/V/65/9/3.2-657015.2-122319.2-83.2-65003.2-65433.2-6569