Dogs and cats deemed personal property; rights relating to ownership.
Richmond, Va., City Code § 4-2
in effectSec. 4-2. - Dogs and cats deemed personal property; rights relating to ownership.
(a) All dogs and cats shall be deemed personal property and may be the subject of larceny and malicious or unlawful trespass. Owners may maintain any action for the killing of any such animals or injury thereto or unlawful detention or use thereof as for other personal property. The owner of any dog or cat which is injured or killed contrary to this chapter by any person shall be entitled to recover the value thereof or the damage done thereto in an appropriate action at law from such person.
(b) An animal control officer or other officer finding a stolen dog or cat or a dog or cat held or detained contrary to law shall have authority to seize and hold such dog or cat pending action before a general district court or other court. If no such action is instituted within seven days, the animal control officer or other officer shall deliver the dog or cat to its owner.
(c) The presence of a dog or cat on the premises of a person other than its legal owner shall raise no presumption of theft against the owner, and the animal control officer may take such animal in charge and notify its legal owner to remove it. The legal owner of the animal shall pay the charge specified in Section 4-275 for the keeping of such animal while in the possession of the animal control officer.
(Code 1993, § 4-2; Code 2004, § 10-2; Code 2015, § 4-2; Code 2020, § 4-2)
Source: City of Richmond, Virginia, Code (2026 recodification) and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/va/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICICO_CH4AN_ARTIINGE_S4-2DOCADEPEPRRIREOWFetched: 11/8/2026