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Age that kittens and puppies can be sold/adopted in Virginia

post #1 of 6
5/12/04 at 6:41pm
Thread Starter 
Mark...I am seeing a lot of free to a good home kittens. The people who are posting are saying the kittens are only 3 weeks old...and they will be available in a couple of weeks....I just want to verify...in Virginia the law is that puppies and kittens cannot go out until 8 weeks of age..correct? I want to let these people know.

Katie
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post #2 of 6
5/12/04 at 7:59pm
As far as I've ever seen known...

From what I can find, so long as there is not any money exchanged, there is nothing that can be done. However if the animal is given away to be sold there is a law in place.

Virginia Code § 3.1-796.70

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp...cod+3.1-796.70

Also Federal Law requires a minimum age of 8 weeks for transporting cats via third parties.

Did I miss anything Mark?

Spotz
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post #3 of 6
5/13/04 at 12:01pm
OR - wonderfully conjunctive word that usually means any of the items not all. Its the prize and other words that get us in trouble. Depends on how the locality interprets it.
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post #4 of 6
5/13/04 at 6:10pm
Thread Starter 
Hmm...ok....guess that answers it...my rescue cannot adopt out unless they are 8 weeks of age so I thought it was a law in Virginia....sad to think that anyone can release a kitten or puppy at 5-6 weeks of age.

Katie
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post #5 of 6
5/14/04 at 4:37pm
You could try to convince them to let you know the names/contact info for the new owners; then you could offer them advice/support with the pets for their lifetime. (Frankly I have never personally been successful with the idea, but maybe it's just me :-)). Kat Chaplin has a DYNAMITE set of guidelines for tackling calling free-to-good homes advertisers. She is "Neuteress of the Night," but I don't have her email or web address in my head just now.

http://www.ahimsatx.org/nnl/docs/HowTo.htm
How to Address Free To A Good Home Ads in Your Community

Is Kat's work. It is always worth the try. I know it's discouraging to think that 5 or 6 week old infants could be removed from their mothers and placed in homes alone, with no guarantee of accountability. Keep on educating though, Katie. We have to make the information available to those who will heed it!

Best,
Linda
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post #6 of 6
5/15/04 at 6:02am
We raided a "Free to a good home" style ad yesterday. Based on a complaint from someone who "rescued" (and in this case that is the RIGHT word if there ever was one!) two kittens from the residence, we returned with a search warrant and confiscated 5 adult cats, 11 kittens and one bearded dragon lizard. Of the kittens, 7 had their eyes crusted shut. Not goopy, not gunky, but solid scab hard covers. The two that were given away can't be more than 5-6 weeks tops. We are consulting with our city attorney to determine if we can bring additional charges other than the cruelty ones already issued. Funny how these things happen right after I post about them on this site.

"Doctors announce cure for the common cold, scientists solve problem of world hunger, politicians agree on permanent end to all hostilities."

Lets see if this helps some of those topics.
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