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2002 SESSION

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SB 260 Animal shelters; establishes companion animal rescue agencies.

Introduced by: John C. Watkins | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS PASSED: (all summaries)

Animal shelters. Adds definitions of “companion animal rescue agency” and “foster home,” and establishes requirements for operating companion animal rescue agencies and foster homes. The bill also sets out separate registration requirements for companion animal rescue agencies and animal pounds and shelters that use foster homes. Companion animal rescue agencies are not inspected by the State Veterinarian prior to accepting animals and are not required to meet shelter regulations set forth by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Instead, a companion animal rescue agency must self-certify and inspect any foster homes used prior to placing an animal to determine if the home meets the basic owner standards of care as set out in § 3.1-796.68 plus additional requirements. The self-certification and inspection reports are to be filed with the State Veterinarian. Companion animal rescue agencies must register with the Department annually and foster homes must self-certify twice a year that they are continuing to meet the basic owner standards of care with the companion animal rescue agency. Pounds and animal shelters that use foster homes to keep animals accepted by the pound or shelter must inspect those foster homes prior to placing an animal. The foster homes must self-certify twice a year that they continue to meet the basic owner standards of care.

The bill also prohibits any person who has ever been convicted of animal cruelty, neglect, or abandonment from adopting an animal from, or working for or operating, any humane society, animal shelter, companion animal rescue agency or foster home. Also, this bill prohibits any person who has ever been convicted of animal cruelty, neglect, or abandonment from being on the board of directors of a pound or animal shelter. This bill also changes the authority for assessing penalties for violations relating to animal shelters from the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The requirement for animal shelters to send pictures of animals to pounds is removed.


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