Action | Promulgate regulation required by Chapter 1284 of the 2020 Acts of Assembly |
Stage | Proposed |
Comment Period | Ended on 12/23/2022 |
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VDACS' draft regulations do not offer animals adequate protection. Pet stores should be held to the same standards as Virginia animal shelters, and they should be subject to meaningful fines or other civil penalties if they cannot meet these standards. Without adequate penalties, pet stores will have no incentive to comply, as you can see by how many stores currently fail to obey the existing Virginia law that requires stores to make breeders' USDA APHIS inspection reports available to customers. Pet stores should also be required to have a licensed veterinarian to develop programs for veterinary care, medications, presale exams, tests, and vaccinations.