HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 124 Offered January 11, 2006 Prefiled January 11, 2006 Encouraging the Virginia Association of Counties and the Virginia Municipal League to advise and advocate to their respective members to adopt a public nuisance animal ordinance. ---------- Patrons-- Orrock and Eisenberg ---------- Referred to Committee on Rules ----------

WHEREAS, there are an estimated 2,784,880 dogs and cats in the Commonwealth of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, complaints about stray, nuisance, and aggressive animals are one of the most frequent and controversial complaints received by local governments; and

WHEREAS, the General Assembly has authorized localities to regulate animals and public nuisance; and

WHEREAS, localites have found it effective to regulate as a public nuisance owners who fail to exercise proper care and control of their animal as done by enacting ordinances to control an animal's excessive, continuous or untimely barking; molesting passersby; chasing vehicles; attacking other animals causing injury or death; trespassing upon school grounds or private property in such a manner as to damage property; habitually running at large; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Virginia Association of Counties and the Virginia Municipal League be encouraged to advise and advocate to their respective members to adopt a public nuisance animal ordinance; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit copies of this resolution to James D. Campbell, Executive Director of the Virginia Association of Counties, and R. Michael Amyx, Executive Director of the Virginia Municipal League, requesting that they further disseminate copies of this resolution to their respective constituents so that they may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter.