Title 19, Health
55 chapters · 675 sections in this title.
19 V.I.C. § 2601 Declaration of policy
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(1) The Legislature hereby finds and declares:(1) that animals straying on public highways and other places private or public, constitute a danger to the public health, safety and convenience, are destructive of property, increase traffic hazards and expose such animals to inhuma…
19 V.I.C. § 2602 Definitions
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(1) The following terms, wherever used or referred to in this chapter, shall have the following meanings, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:(1) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Agriculture for the Virgin Islands or any of his duly authorized repr…
19 V.I.C. § 2603 Administration of laws relating to control of animals; powers of the Commissioner
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(1) Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, all laws relating to the control of animals running at large shall be administered by the Commissioner. The Commissioner shall have and may exercise all such powers as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out and effectuat…
19 V.I.C. § 2604 Animal wardens
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(a) In exercise of his powers and duties hereunder, the Commissioner may designate agents or employees of the Department of Agriculture, or agents or employees of a humane society, to act as animal wardens for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this chapter or of any prov…
19 V.I.C. § 2605 Licensing of dogs
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(a) No person shall own, keep or harbor any dog, three months old or over, unless licensed as provided in this chapter. Written application for such license shall be made to the Commissioner on a form prescribed and furnished by said Commissioner. The application shall state the …
19 V.I.C. § 2606 Transfer of licenses
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It is unlawful to transfer a license or license tag issued for one dog to another. Whenever the ownership or possession of any dog is permanently transferred from one person to another the license of such dog may be likewise transferred, upon notice given to the Department of Agr…
19 V.I.C. § 2607 Kennel certificates; fees; metal tags issued with kennel certificates
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Any person who keeps or operates a kennel, may, in lieu of the license for each dog required by this chapter, obtain licenses under a kennel certificate. Upon information supplied by such person, the Commissioner shall prepare a certificate describing the premises where the kenne…
19 V.I.C. § 2608 Tags kept attached to collar; transfer; confinement of dogs; permanent records
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The owner of a kennel shall keep one of such tags attached to a collar on each dog three months old or over, kept by him under a kennel certificate, when and during such time as such dog is without the kennel. Such tags may be transferred from one dog to another whenever any dog …
19 V.I.C. § 2609 Guide dogs for the blind
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The provisions of this subchapter relating to the payment of fees and other charges shall not apply to any blind person owning a guide dog. License tags for guide dogs shall be issued without charge.
19 V.I.C. § 2610 Failure to obtain license, penalty
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Whoever fails to obtain a proper license tag as provided in this subchapter shall be fined not less than $10 and not more than $50.
19 V.I.C. § 2611 Guard dogs
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Dogs kept for the purpose of guarding warehouses, wharves or similar places, at night shall be confined so that they cannot get out.
19 V.I.C. § 2612 Liability of owners
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(a) Owners of dogs shall be liable for any damage done by their dogs. (b) The owners of any dogs which shall bite any person, while such person is on or in a public place, or lawfully on or in a private place, including the place of the owner of such dogs, shall be liable for suc…
19 V.I.C. § 2613 Inciting dog to attack; personal or property damages; penalty
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(1) Whoever—(1) incites a dog to attack, or, being the owner does not take measures to prevent his dog from doing so, or(2) owns a dog that damages property or injures any persons—shall be fined not less than $10 and not more than $100. (1) incites a dog to attack, or, being the …
19 V.I.C. § 2613a Promoting, staging, advertising or witnessing dogfights; confiscation of equipment; possession of dog
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(a) Whoever:(1) willfully, or for any bet, stake, or reward, instigates or encourages any dog to attack, bite, wound or bait another dog, except in the course of protection of life or property;(2) keeps any house, pit or other place, or provides any equipment or facilities to be …
19 V.I.C. § 2614 Dogs injuring stock
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It shall be lawful for any person who shall see any dog or dogs chasing, biting, injuring or killing any sheep, goat, swine or other domestic animal, including poultry, belonging to such person, on any real property owned or leased by, or under the control of, such person, or on …
19 V.I.C. § 2615 Dogs running at large
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Any unlicensed dog or any dog bearing a proper license tag found running at large may be seized, impounded and disposed of in accordance with the provisions of subchapter III of this chapter.
19 V.I.C. § 2615a Dog bites; quarantine; penalty for obstructing
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Any dog which bites any person may, upon notice to the Commissioner or any animal warden, be seized by the Commissioner or said animal warden, impounded and quarantined for the purpose of determining the existence of rabies. Any owner or other person who prevents or obstructs the…
19 V.I.C. § 2615b Dogs prohibited in Virgin Islands Public Housing Projects
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(a) It shall be unlawful for any occupant or tenant in any Virgin Islands Public Housing Project to own, breed or house any dog or dangerous pet, except seeing eye dogs, within such project. (b) Any occupant or tenant who is found in violation of subsection (a) of this section sh…
19 V.I.C. § 2615c Registration, confinement and confiscation of dangerous dogs
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(a) It is unlawful for an owner to have a dangerous dog in the Virgin Islands without a certificate of registration issued by an animal shelter under this section. This section shall not apply to dogs used by peace officers in the discharge of their duties.(1) An animal shelter, …
19 V.I.C. § 2616 Registering of animals, transferring ownership
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(a) No person shall own, keep, or harbor any donkey, horse, mule, sheep, cattle, hog, or goat, two months old or older, unless registered as provided for in this chapter. Written application for such registration shall be made to the Commissioner on a form prescribed and furnishe…
19 V.I.C. § 2616a Branding or marking of animals
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(a) No person shall own, keep or harbor any donkey, horse, mule, sheep, cattle, hog, or goat, two months old or older, unless such animal is branded, tagged or tattooed on a conspicuous part of the body with an identification or marking. (b) An owner of any donkey, horse, mule, s…
19 V.I.C. § 2616b Seizure and detention; notice to owners; branding or marking
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(a) Any animal found running at large, or tied on public property, or on private property without the consent of the owner of the property, shall be taken up by animal wardens and impounded in an animal shelter, and shall be confined for disposition in accordance with the further…
19 V.I.C. § 2617 Reclaiming by owner; impounded fees
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(a) The first time any animal, except a horse, donkey, mule or cattle, is impounded, it may be reclaimed upon payment by the owner to the Commissioner, or his designated agent, the sum of twenty-five dollars ($25) and the additional sum of ten dollars ($10) for each day the anima…
19 V.I.C. § 2618 Disposition of unclaimed animals
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Animals not claimed by the owner as hereinabove provided may be disposed of by the Commissioner or his designated agent by sale or gift to a responsible and suitable person, by transfer to a humane society or by destruction in a humane manner.
19 V.I.C. § 2619 Destruction of injured, disabled or diseased animals
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The Commissioner or his designated agent may cause to be destroyed any animal when, in his judgment, such animal appears to be so injured, disabled or diseased as to be past recovery or unfit for any useful purpose.
19 V.I.C. § 2622 Interference with administration of law
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(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with any officer or agent in the enforcement of this law. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to take an animal away from such officer or agent having it in his possession or from the premises where it is impounded. (c) It …
19 V.I.C. § 2623 Penalties
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(a) Whoever—(a) fails to obtain the proper license tags as provided herein, or(b) violates any provision of this chapter or any regulation or order issued under this chapter for which a penalty is not otherwise provided, shall be fined not less than $10 and not more than $100. (a…
19 V.I.C. § 2624 Animal Fund; use of
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(a) There is hereby created a special fund in the treasury of the Virgin Islands to be known as the Animal Fund into which all moneys collected under the provisions of this act shall be paid, and from which expenses necessary in the carrying into effect the provisions of this cha…