York County, VA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- York County Code § 4-4
- Ownership
- exotic pets are not banned outright
- Trigger
- exotic or poisonous animal running at large
- Owner pays
- capture, location and disposal costs
- Also covers
- employee medical costs if injured or envenomed
- Default penalty
- Class 4 misdemeanor (§ 4-1)
Summary
York County, Virginia doesn't outlaw owning exotic pets outright, but Sec. 4-4 lets the county bill an owner for the actual cost, including any employee medical bills, of locating, capturing or disposing of an exotic or poisonous animal that gets loose and runs at large.
Any person who causes or permits any exotic or poisonous animal to run at large may be required to pay a fee to cover the actual cost in locating, capturing and/or otherwise disposing of the animal. Actual costs in locating, capturing and/or otherwise disposing of the animal include any medical costs incurred by any county employee who is injured and/or envenomed during the process of locating, capturing and/or otherwise disposing of the animal. For purposes of this section, "exotic animal" means any animals other than a companion animal, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, swine, enclosed domesticated rabbits or hares, domestic fowl and games birds raised in captivity.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 4-4, "Animals or fowl trespassing or running at large on highways," opens Chapter 4's general animal-control scheme in York County, Virginia. Its first clause makes it unlawful for any owner or custodian to let an animal or fowl trespass on someone else's land, or run at large on a public highway whether fenced or not. The section then adds a specific cost-recovery rule for exotic pets: any person who causes or permits an exotic or poisonous animal to run at large may be required to pay a fee covering the actual cost of locating, capturing and disposing of it, and that cost expressly includes medical bills for any county employee injured or envenomed while responding.
The section defines "exotic animal" precisely, as anything other than a companion animal, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, swine, enclosed domesticated rabbits or hares, domestic fowl, and game birds raised in captivity, so venomous snakes, big cats, primates and similar animals fall squarely within it. Nothing in Sec. 4-4 requires a permit to keep such an animal or bans possession; the rule only bites once the animal is loose. Response and enforcement run through the animal control officer and deputies appointed under Sec. 4-3, who carry authority under the Virginia Comprehensive Animal Care Laws, Title 3.2, Chapter 65 of the Code of Virginia, and Sec. 4-1 sets the chapter's default Class 4 misdemeanor penalty where none is otherwise specified.
Violations & Fines
Letting an exotic or poisonous pet run at large in York County, Virginia triggers liability under Sec. 4-4 for the county's actual capture, location and disposal costs, plus any medical costs an animal control officer or other county employee incurs if bitten or envenomed. Beyond that fee, running an animal at large or letting it trespass is, absent a more specific penalty, a Class 4 misdemeanor under Sec. 4-1, enforced by the York County animal control officer appointed under Sec. 4-3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are exotic pets illegal in York County, Virginia?
What happens if my exotic pet escapes in York County?
Is letting any animal run loose in York County a crime?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
Compare York County to another location·View the Virginia animal ordinances overview
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