Albemarle County, Virginia

Sec. 4-301 – Cruelty to animals; acts that inflict pain, injury, or suffering are prohibited.

Acts of cruelty to animals inflicting specific acts of pain, injury, or suffering are subject to the following:

A. Unlawful acts. The following acts are unlawful:

1. Inflicting death, injury, or pain generally. Any person who 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. In addition, evidence of any of the following establishes a rebuttable presumption that this subsection has been violated:

a. The person places any animal, including any dog, on a tether:

1. That does not terminate at both ends with a swivel.

2. That is shared with other animals.

3. For more than two hours cumulative in any 24-hour period.

4. During an excessive heat warning or heat advisory issued by the National Weather Service, the State, or the County.

5. During a severe weather warning issued by the National Weather Service, including any hurricane warning, tropical storm warning, tornado warning, severe thunderstorm warning, or winter storm warning.

6. On uninhabited or abandoned property in the County.

b. The person places any animal, including any dog, on a tether that, if it is on a pulley or running line:

1. That restricts movement of the animal.

2. Is inappropriate for the animal’s age and size.

3. Is not attached to the animal by a collar.

4. Is less than 15 feet in length.

5. Is more than seven feet above the ground.

6. Is configured to allow the animal to be injured, strangled, or entangled with other animals or objects.

c. The person places any female dog in heat on a tether or tethers a dog that is six months’ old or younger.

d. The person transports an animal in an open-bed truck or similar vehicle either when the animal is tethered or is in a carrier that is not secured to the vehicle so that it is unmovable and allows normal postural movements of the animal.