CHAPTER 520

An Act to amend and reenact § 18.1-216, of the Code of Virginia, relating
to certain acts of cruelty to animals, and the punishment therefor.

(S 304]
Approved April 4, 1968

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 18.1-216 of the Code of Virginia be amended and reenacted
as follows:

§ 18.1-216. Cruelty to animals a misdemeanor.—Any person who (1)
overrides, overdrives, overloads, tortures, ill-treats, abandons, willfully
inflicts inhumane injury or pain not connected with bonafide scientific or
medical experimentation to, or cruelly or unnecessarily beats, maims,
mutilates, or kills any animal, whether belonging to himself or another,
or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, food, or drink, or causes
any of the above things, or being the owner of such animal permits such
acts to be done by another, or (2) wilfully sets on foot, instigates, engages
in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any animal; or (3) shall
carry or cause to be carried in or upon any vehicle or vessel or otherwise
any animal in a cruel, brutal, or inhuman manner, so as to produce
torture or unnecessary suffering, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor; but
nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the dehorning of
cattle.