New Virginia Animal Laws as of 7/1/2024

A couple new laws that took effect July 1, 2024

Banning cat declawing
Veterinarians will not be allowed to declaw cats in Virginia starting July 1 unless there are certain “therapeutic” reasons to do so. The exceptions include: 1) To address an existing or recurring infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition in an animal’s claw, nail bed or toe bone that jeopardizes the animal’s health, and for which addressing the infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition is a medical necessity, as documented by a licensed veterinarian; and 2) To protect the owner’s life or health, as documented by a licensed physician, when such owner has been diagnosed with an infection, disease, disorder or similar condition that could reasonably be expected to worsen if such owner were to be scratched by a cat.

Animal cruelty registries
Localities can now set up public animal cruelty registries on their website or their local police department’s site. A registry can have the names and other relevant information of the people convicted of certain animal cruelty felonies. Any person on the registry can ask to be removed after 15 years if they haven’t been convicted of any more animal cruelty felonies.

Mark Petrovich