{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/18.2-52.2.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/18.2-52.2.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/18.2-52.2.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/18.2-52.2.html"}],"law_id":351104,"edition_id":2,"section_id":351104,"structure_id":50217,"section_number":"18.2-52.2","catch_line":"Animal attack resulting from owner’s disregard for human life; penalty","history":"2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 464.","full_text":"A\n\nAny owner of an animal is guilty of a Class 6 felony if his willful act or omission in the care, control, or containment of such animal is so gross, wanton, and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life and is the proximate cause of such animal attacking and causing serious bodily injury to any person.\n\nB\n\nThe provisions of subsection A shall not apply to any animal that at the time of the act complained of was responding to pain or injury, was protecting itself, its kennel, its offspring, a person, or its owner’s property, or was a police dog engaged in the performance of its duties at the time of the attack.\n\nC\n\nThe court may determine that a person convicted under this section shall be prohibited from owning, possessing, or residing on the same property with an animal of the type that led to such conviction.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1307613,"text":"Any owner of an animal is guilty of a Class 6 felony if his willful act or omission in the care, control, or containment of such animal is so gross, wanton, and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life and is the proximate cause of such animal attacking and causing serious bodily injury to any person.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1307614,"text":"The provisions of subsection A shall not apply to any animal that at the time of the act complained of was responding to pain or injury, was protecting itself, its kennel, its offspring, a person, or its owner’s property, or was a police dog engaged in the performance of its duties at the time of the attack.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":1307615,"text":"The court may determine that a person convicted under this section shall be prohibited from owning, possessing, or residing on the same property with an animal of the type that led to such conviction.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":50217,"edition_id":2,"name":"Assaults and Bodily Woundings","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":6,"parent_id":50171,"metadata":{"child_laws":29,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:24:43","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:17","permalink":{"id":1391965,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50217,"identifier":"4","token":"18.2\/4\/4","url":"\/18.2\/4\/4\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50171,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crimes Against the Person","identifier":"4","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":4,"parent_id":50131,"metadata":{"child_laws":128,"child_structures":11},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:23:51","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:16","permalink":{"id":1391765,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50171,"identifier":"4","token":"18.2\/4","url":"\/18.2\/4\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50131,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":52,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":960,"child_structures":94},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:22:59","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:15","permalink":{"id":1391141,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50131,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":351093,"structure_id":50217,"section_number":"18.2-51","catch_line":"Shooting, stabbing, etc., with intent to maim, kill, etc","url":"\/18.2-51\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-51","metadata":false},{"id":351086,"structure_id":50217,"section_number":"18.2-51.1","catch_line":"Malicious bodily injury to law-enforcement officers, firefighters, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel; 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A.<\/span> Any owner of an animal is guilty of a Class 6 felony<\/span> if his willful act or omission in the care, control, or containment of such animal is so gross, wanton, and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life and is the proximate cause of such animal attacking and causing serious bodily injury to any person. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The provisions of subsection A shall not apply to any animal that at the time of the act complained of was responding to pain or injury, was protecting itself, its kennel, its offspring, a person, or its owner’s property, or was a police dog engaged in the performance of its duties at the time of the attack. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The court<\/span> may determine that a person convicted under this section shall be prohibited from owning, possessing, or residing on the same property with an animal of the type that led to such conviction<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nANIMAL ATTACK RESULTING FROM OWNER’S DISREGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE; PENALTY (\u00a7\n18.2-52.2)\n\nA. Any owner of an animal is guilty of a Class 6 felony if his willful act or\nomission in the care, control, or containment of such animal is so gross,\nwanton, and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life and is the\nproximate cause of such animal attacking and causing serious bodily injury to\nany person.\n\nB. The provisions of subsection A shall not apply to any animal that at the time\nof the act complained of was responding to pain or injury, was protecting\nitself, its kennel, its offspring, a person, or its owner’s property, or\nwas a police dog engaged in the performance of its duties at the time of the\nattack.\n\nC. The court may determine that a person convicted under this section shall be\nprohibited from owning, possessing, or residing on the same property with an\nanimal of the type that led to such conviction.\n\nHISTORY: 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 464.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}