Companion animals; notification by individuals who find animals, civil penalty.
Summary
HB2622 amends Virginia law governing what a person must do when they find a companion animal and take it into care or otherwise control it. Under the bill, a finder must, within 48 hours, make a reasonable attempt to notify the animal’s owner if the owner can be identified from tags, licenses, collars, tattoos, markings, or other identification, and must also notify the public animal shelter serving the locality where the animal was found. The shelter notice must include contact information, a description of the animal and any identifying information, and the location where the animal was found.
The bill also ties found-animal situations to existing requirements in § 3.2-6503 and increases the civil penalty for violating this section from no more than $50 to no more than $500 per companion animal. In practical terms, the measure would strengthen enforcement around found pets and create a larger financial consequence for failing to report or notify as required.
Impact
HB2622 would amend and reenact § 3.2-6551 of the Code of Virginia, increasing the civil penalty for noncompliance and expanding the practical obligation on individuals who find companion animals to promptly notify both the owner, when identifiable, and the local public animal shelter. The bill affects private individuals who take in found pets, animal shelters, and pet owners by formalizing reporting duties and raising the stakes for failing to follow them. It does not create a new category of offense, but it increases the maximum civil penalty from $50 to $500 per animal, which could significantly change compliance behavior and enforcement outcomes.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests mixed but somewhat skeptical sentiment toward the bill. A House subcommittee voted 6-4 to recommend laying the bill on the table, which indicates that a majority of members were not ready to advance it, even though the vote was not unanimous. No committee transcript is available, so the record does not show detailed public arguments, but the table motion suggests at least some concern about the bill’s necessity, scope, or penalty increase.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be the size of the civil penalty increase, from $50 to $500 per companion animal, which is a substantial escalation for a reporting violation. Another likely issue is whether the added notification requirements are burdensome for ordinary individuals who temporarily care for found animals, especially when ownership is unclear or the animal is being held only briefly. Supporters would likely view the bill as improving reunification of lost pets and helping shelters track found animals, while opponents or undecided members may have questioned whether existing law already provides sufficient protection and whether the higher penalty is proportionate.