{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/3.2-6562.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/3.2-6562.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/3.2-6562.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/3.2-6562.1.html"}],"law_id":358333,"edition_id":2,"section_id":358333,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6562.1","catch_line":"Rabies exposure; local authority and responsibility plan","history":"2010, c. 834.","full_text":"The local health director, in conjunction with the governing body of the locality, shall adopt a plan to control and respond to the risk of rabies exposure to persons and companion animals. Such plan shall set forth a procedure that promptly ensures the capture, confinement, isolation, or euthanasia of any animal that has exposed, or poses a risk of exposing, a person or companion animal to rabies. The plan shall identify the authority and responsibility of the local health department, law-enforcement officers, animal control officers, and any other persons with a duty to control or respond to a risk of rabies exposure. The plan shall provide for law-enforcement officers, animal control officers, and other persons to report to and be directed by the local health director for such purposes.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1333275,"text":"The local health director, in conjunction with the governing body of the locality, shall adopt a plan to control and respond to the risk of rabies exposure to persons and companion animals. Such plan shall set forth a procedure that promptly ensures the capture, confinement, isolation, or euthanasia of any animal that has exposed, or poses a risk of exposing, a person or companion animal to rabies. The plan shall identify the authority and responsibility of the local health department, law-enforcement officers, animal control officers, and any other persons with a duty to control or respond to a risk of rabies exposure. The plan shall provide for law-enforcement officers, animal control officers, and other persons to report to and be directed by the local health director for such purposes.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":51242,"edition_id":2,"name":"Animal Control Officers and Humane Investigators","identifier":"7","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":8,"parent_id":51234,"metadata":{"child_laws":11,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:39:43","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:27:45","permalink":{"id":1425923,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51242,"identifier":"7","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7","url":"\/3.2\/V\/65\/7\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51234,"edition_id":2,"name":"Comprehensive Animal Care","identifier":"65","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":5,"parent_id":51220,"metadata":{"child_laws":132,"child_structures":15},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:39:34","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:27:44","permalink":{"id":1425461,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51234,"identifier":"65","token":"3.2\/V\/65","url":"\/3.2\/V\/65\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51220,"edition_id":2,"name":"Domestic Animals","identifier":"V","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":5,"parent_id":51103,"metadata":{"child_laws":207,"child_structures":28},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:39:26","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:27:43","permalink":{"id":1425135,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51220,"identifier":"V","token":"3.2\/V","url":"\/3.2\/V\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51103,"edition_id":2,"name":"Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food","identifier":"3.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":5,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":1194,"child_structures":151},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:37:33","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:27:27","permalink":{"id":1420941,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51103,"identifier":"3.2","token":"3.2","url":"\/3.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":358326,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6555","catch_line":"Position of animal control officer created","url":"\/3.2-6555\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6555","metadata":false},{"id":358327,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6556","catch_line":"Training of animal control officers","url":"\/3.2-6556\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6556","metadata":false},{"id":358328,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6557","catch_line":"Animal control officers and humane investigators; limitations; records; penalties","url":"\/3.2-6557\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6557","metadata":false},{"id":358329,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6558","catch_line":"Humane investigators; qualifications; appointment; term","url":"\/3.2-6558\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6558","metadata":false},{"id":358330,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6559","catch_line":"Powers and duties of humane investigators","url":"\/3.2-6559\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6559","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":358331,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6560","catch_line":"Expenses of humane investigators","url":"\/3.2-6560\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6560","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":358332,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6561","catch_line":"Revocation of appointment of humane investigators","url":"\/3.2-6561\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6561","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":358335,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6562","catch_line":"Capturing, confining, and euthanizing companion animals by animal control officers; approval of drugs used","url":"\/3.2-6562\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6562","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Toni Sue Stacey v. Commonwealth of Virginia","case_number":"1099192","citation":null,"date":"2021-03-09","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/4862145\/toni-sue-stacey-v-commonwealth-of-virginia\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"}}}},{"id":358333,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6562.1","catch_line":"Rabies exposure; local authority and responsibility plan","url":"\/3.2-6562.1\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6562.1","metadata":false},{"id":358334,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6562.2","catch_line":"Rabies exposure reports","url":"\/3.2-6562.2\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6562.2","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":358336,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6563","catch_line":"When animals to be euthanized; procedure","url":"\/3.2-6563\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6563","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":358335,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6562","catch_line":"Capturing, confining, and euthanizing companion animals by animal control officers; approval of drugs used","url":"\/3.2-6562\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6562","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Toni Sue Stacey v. Commonwealth of Virginia","case_number":"1099192","citation":null,"date":"2021-03-09","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/4862145\/toni-sue-stacey-v-commonwealth-of-virginia\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"}}}},"next_section":{"id":358334,"structure_id":51242,"section_number":"3.2-6562.2","catch_line":"Rabies exposure reports","url":"\/3.2-6562.2\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6562.2","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/3.2-6562.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2010. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 834<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":[{"id":350910,"section_number":"18.2-403.1","catch_line":"Offenses involving animals \u2014 Class 1 misdemeanors","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-403.1\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1425957,"object_type":"law","relational_id":358333,"identifier":"3.2-6562.1","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6562.1","url":"\/3.2-6562.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/3.2-6562.1\/","token":"3.2\/V\/65\/7\/3.2-6562.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Rabies exposure; local authority and responsibility plan","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 3.2-6562.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The local health director, in conjunction with the governing body of the locality, shall adopt a plan to control and respond to the risk of rabies exposure to persons and companion animals<\/span>. Such plan shall set forth a procedure that promptly ensures the capture, confinement, isolation, or euthanasia<\/span> of any animal that has exposed, or poses a risk of exposing, a person or companion animal<\/span> to rabies. The plan shall identify the authority and responsibility of the local health department<\/span>, law<\/span>-enforcement officers<\/span>, animal control officers<\/span>, and any other persons with a duty to control or respond to a risk of rabies exposure. The plan shall provide for law<\/span>-enforcement officers<\/span>, animal control officers<\/span>, and other persons to report to and be directed by the local health director for such purposes.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nRABIES EXPOSURE; LOCAL AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY PLAN (\u00a7 3.2-6562.1)\n\nThe local health director, in conjunction with the governing body of the\nlocality, shall adopt a plan to control and respond to the risk of rabies\nexposure to persons and companion animals. Such plan shall set forth a procedure\nthat promptly ensures the capture, confinement, isolation, or euthanasia of any\nanimal that has exposed, or poses a risk of exposing, a person or companion\nanimal to rabies. The plan shall identify the authority and responsibility of\nthe local health department, law-enforcement officers, animal control officers,\nand any other persons with a duty to control or respond to a risk of rabies\nexposure. The plan shall provide for law-enforcement officers, animal control\nofficers, and other persons to report to and be directed by the local health\ndirector for such purposes.\n\nHISTORY: 2010, c. 834.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}