CHAPTER 617

An Act to amend and reenact § 29-184.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating
to dog wardens in certain counties.
[H 491]

Approved March 31, 1956

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 29-184.2 of the Code of Virginia be amended and reenacted
as follows:

§ 29-184.2. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in any
county having, according to the last United States census, a population
in excess of forty-five thousand but not in excess of fifty thousand, * and tn
any county having a population in excess of twenty-three thousand three
hundred fifty but not in excess of twenty-three thousand three hundred
CHS. 617, 618] ACTS OF ASSEMBLY 969

seventy, the enforcement of the dog laws shall be vested in a dog warden
and deputy dog wardens, and upon the appointment therein of a dog
warden and deputy dog wardens the game warden shall have no jurisdic-
tion as to the enforcement of the dog laws. In any such county the judge
of the circuit court shall appoint from a list of not less than three nor
more than five persons nominated by the governing body of the county an
officer to be known as the dog warden, who shall have exclusive jurisdic-
tion as to the enforcement of the dog laws in such county; the judge may
also so appoint, from a similar list of not less than three nor more than
seven persons, such number of deputy dog wardens as are requested by
the governing body. Provided, however, that in any county having a popu-
lation in excess of twenty-three thousand three hundred fifty but not in
excess of twenty-three thousand three hundred seventy, the circuit court
shall appoint the dog warden and any deputy recommended by the govern-
ing body of such county. Such deputy dog wardens shall have the powers
and duties of a dog warden. The dog warden and deputy dog wardens
shall have all the powers and duties of a game warden in the enforcement
of the dog laws. The dog warden and deputy dog wardens shall be paid
such compensation as the governing body of the county may prescribe.

(b) The lists of nominations so made by such governing body shall
be submitted to the court or the judge thereof in vacation not later than
the fifteenth day of June of each year and the appointments shall be made
by the court or judge on or before the thirtieth day of June for one year
commencing on the first day of July and expiring on the thirtieth day of
June next succeeding.

(c) In such county the amount of the dog license tax, which in no
event shall be more than five dollars per dog, shall be fixed by ordinance
adopted by the governing body of such county, and thereafter the tax
imposed under § 29-184 shall not apply therein. The funds collected for
dog license taxes shall be paid into a special fund and may be disposed
of as provided in this section and in §§ 29-206 and 29-209, provided that
(1) the amount payable to the State treasury as the State’s share of the
dog license taxes shall not in any year be less than an average of the
amount so paid in any such county for the fiscal years nineteen hundred
forty-nine and nineteen hundred fifty; (2) the governing body, from the
local share of the dog license taxes, shall continue to make allowances to
the game warden in at least the amount contributed by such county in
the year nineteen hundred fifty toward the salary of a game warden; (3)
the county shall pay the salaries and expenses of the dog warden and
deputy dog wardens from such special fund; and (4) the sum so remain-
ing shall be left to accumulate in said fund for a period of not less than
three years, and not more than fifty per cent of such accumulated fund
shall be transferred from said special fund to any other fund, except as
herein provided, in any one fiscal year.

(d) All other provisions of Chapter 9 of this title shall apply mutatis
ulema to any such county and dog wardens and deputy dog wardens

erein.
2. An emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.