Virginia — rabies control; local ordinances may require rabies vaccination of dogs and cats (Code § 3.2-6522)

Virginia — rabies control; local ordinances may require rabies vaccination of dogs and cats (Code § 3.2-6522)

Source: Virginia Law — Code of Virginia § 3.2-6522 (law.lis.virginia.gov), extracted 2026-07-24 via Tokyo relay (Playwright). First-hand state-statute text; C1 substring-verified against pdf-raw/mandatory-vaccination/va_3_2_6522.txt. This is the statutory rabies-control framework for Virginia at the state-code level — note that the actual *compulsory* vaccination duty is delegated to local ordinance under § 3.2-6522 A, distinct from a blanket state mandate and from clinical vaccine-guidance topics.

Virginia Code § 3.2-6522 sits under "Article 5. Rabies Control and Licensing of Dogs and Cats." It is captioned "Rabid animals." Rather than imposing a single statewide vaccination command, it empowers localities: per subdivision A, "The governing body of any locality shall also have the power and authority to pass ordinances restricting the running at large in their respective jurisdiction of dogs and cats that have not been inoculated or vaccinated against rabies and to provide penalties for the violation thereof." It also sets post-exposure handling: a dog or cat exposed to rabies with no proof of current vaccination "shall be isolated ... for a period not to exceed six months," and "A rabies vaccination shall be administered by a licensed veterinarian prior to release."

This covers the state-level "is rabies vaccination legally required in Virginia?" question at the statute level: the answer is locality-dependent by ordinance, backed by state rabies-control and post-exposure rules. It is not a substitute for local leash/licensing ordinances or clinical booster guidance (separate topics).

Verbatim C1 claims (each a substring of the source file + this body):

1. "§ 3.2-6522. Rabid animals."
2. "The governing body of any locality shall also have the power and authority to pass ordinances restricting the running at large in their respective jurisdiction of dogs and cats that have not been inoculated or vaccinated against rabies and to provide penalties for the violation thereof."
3. "Any dog or cat for which no proof of current rabies vaccination is available and that may have been exposed to rabies through a bite, or through saliva or central nervous system tissue, in a fresh open wound or mucous membrane, by an animal suspected to be rabid shall be isolated in a public animal shelter, kennel, or enclosure approved by the local health department for a period not to exceed six months at the expense of the owner or custodian in a manner and by a date certain as determined by the local health director."
4. "A rabies vaccination shall be administered by a licensed veterinarian prior to release."
5. "When determining whether a dog that has bitten a person shall be so confined, the health director shall weigh any proof that the dog has current certificates for both (i) rabies vaccination and (ii) special training for police work, military work, or work as a first responder."