title
To amend and reordain City Code ? 4-96, concerning cruelty to animals, for the purpose of imposing additional punishments for those convicted of animal cruelty crimes authorized by Va. Code ? 3.2-6570.
body
THE CITY OF RICHMOND HEREBY ORDAINS:
? 1. That section 4-96 of the Code of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, be and is hereby amended and reordained as follows:
Sec. 4-96. Cruelty to animals.
(a) For the purposes of this section, the term "animal" shall be construed to include birds and fowl.
(b) A person shall be guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor if the person:
(1) 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 such person or another;
(2) Deprives any animal of necessary food, drink, shelter or emergency veterinary treatment;
(3) 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;
(4) Willfully sets on foot, instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any animal;
(5) Carries or causes to be carried in or upon any vehicle, vessel or otherwise any animal in a cruel, brutal, or inhumane manner, so as to produce torture or unnecessary suffering; or
(6) Causes any of the things mentioned in subsections (b)(1) through (5) of this section or being the owner of such animal permits such acts to be done by another.
(c) Any person who abandons or dumps any dog, cat or other companion animal in any public place, including the right-of-way of any public highway, road or street, or on the property of another shall be guilty of a class 3 mi...
Click here for full text