Virginia statute
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-144.1 — Prohibition against killing or injuring police animals; penalty
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Article 7: Damage to and Tampering with Property, Code of Virginia.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-144.1
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the text of the Code of Virginia from the official Virginia Law Portal API published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems; it is not the official Code of Virginia.
It shall be unlawful for any person to maliciously shoot, stab, wound or otherwise cause bodily injury to, or administer poison to or expose poison with intent that it be taken by a dog, horse or other animal owned, used or trained by a law-enforcement agency, regional jail or the Department of Corrections while such animal is performing his lawful duties or is being kept in a kennel, pen or stable while off duty. A violation of this section shall be punishable as a Class 5 felony. The court shall order that the defendant pay restitution for the cost of any animal killed or rendered unable to perform its duties. Such cost shall include training expenses.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is prohibition against killing or injuring police animals a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?
Prohibition against killing or injuring police animals is a class 5 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-144.1.
Which Virginia statute covers prohibition against killing or injuring police animals?
Prohibition against killing or injuring police animals is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-144.1 (Prohibition against killing or injuring police animals; penalty).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.