VirginiaCruelty to animals; malicious killing of a dog or cat, penalty.
What it does
Cruelty to animals; malicious killing of a dog or cat; penalty. Creates, under the animal cruelty provisions, a Class 6 felony for any person who maliciously kills any dog or cat that is a companion animal whether belonging to him or another. Currently, such felony applies only to a 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, or mutilates any dog or cat that is a companion animal whether belonging to him or another and (ii) as a direct result causes serious bodily injury to such dog or cat that is a companion animal, the death of such dog or cat that is a companion animal, or the euthanasia of such animal on the recommendation of a licensed veterinarian upon determination that such euthanasia was necessary due to the condition of the animal.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 10Left in AppropriationsLatest
- Mar 9Rereferred to AppropriationsMinor
- Mar 9Motion to rerefer to Appropriations agreed to
- Mar 6Read second timeMinor
- Mar 4Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Appropriations. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 3Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public SafetyMinor
- Mar 2Reported from Courts of Justice and referred to Appropriations (20-Y 2-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Courts of Justice. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 20Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 0-N)
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 18Assigned HCJ sub: CriminalMinor
- Feb 12Referred to Committee for Courts of JusticeMinor
- Feb 12Read first timeMinor
- Feb 12Placed on Calendar
- Feb 9Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 6Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
- Feb 6Read second timeMinor
- Feb 5Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed R. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 5Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Feb 5Rules suspended
- Feb 4Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Finance and Appropriations. Result: pass.Upper
- Jan 27Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (12-Y 0-N 1-A)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources. Result: pass.Upper
- Jan 23Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB261)
- Jan 20Assigned HACNR sub: Companion AnimalsMinor
- Jan 14Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/14/2026 6:34 pm)
- Jan 12Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural ResourcesMinor
- Jan 12Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101240DIntroduced