§ 4-21. Definitions.

Companion animal: Any domestic or feral dog, domestic or feral cat, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit not raised for human food or fiber, reptile, exotic or native bird, any feral animal, any animal under the care, custody, or ownership of a person, or any animal bought, sold, traded, or bartered by any person. Livestock, game species, wild or exotic animals as defined in section 4-3 or any animals regulated under federal law as research animals are companion animals for the purposes of this chapter.

Dangerous dog: A canine or canine crossbreed which has (i) bitten, attacked or inflicted injury on a person or companion animal, other than a dog, or (ii) killed a companion animal.

Hearing dog: A dog trained to alert its owner to sounds of danger and sounds to which the owner should respond.

Kennel: An enclosure in compliance with chapter 19.1 in which four or more dogs, four months or older, are kept and from which they cannot escape.

Livestock: All domestic or domesticated cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs (as defined in section 4-11), cervidae animals, capradae animals, animals of the genus llama, flightless birds (ratites), enclosed domesticated rabbits or hares and any other animal specifically raised for food or fiber, except wild or exotic animals defined in section 4-3.

Owner: Any person (i) having a right of property in any animal, subject to the provisions of this article, (ii) who keeps or harbors an animal, (iii) who has an animal in his care or who acts as its custodian, or (iv) who permits an animal to remain on or about any premises occupied by him.

Poultry: All domestic fowl and game birds raised in captivity.

Service dog: A dog trained to accompany its owner to carry items, retrieve objects, pull a wheelchair or conduct other service or support activities.

Treasurer: The county treasurer and his agents, designated to collect county license taxes.

Vaccinate, vaccinated or vaccination: The immunization of a dog or cat against rabies, whether by inoculation, vaccination or any other method of treatment approved by the county health department director.

Vicious dog: A canine or canine crossbreed which has (i) killed a person; (ii) inflicted serious injury to a person, including multiple bites, serious disfigurement, serious impairment of health or serious impairment of a bodily function; or (iii) continued to exhibit behavior which previously resulted in a finding by a court that it is a dangerous dog, provided that its owner has been given notice of the previous finding.

(Code 1978, § 5-4; Ord. of 4-14-10(1), § (1); Ord. of 8-26-15(1), § 1)

Cross reference— Definitions and rules of construction generally, § 1-2.

State Law reference— Definitions, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.66; amount of license tax, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.87; authority to control dangerous dogs, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.93:1.

(Code 1978, § 5-4; Ord. of 4-14-10(1), § (1); Ord. of 8-26-15(1), § 1)

State law reference

Definitions, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.66; amount of license tax, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.87; authority to control dangerous dogs, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.93:1.

Cross reference

Definitions and rules of construction generally, § 1-2.