Richmond, VA Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

Section 4-309(b) prohibits presenting any dog or cat for sale, adoption, barter or exchange in a public place without first obtaining a breeding permit under Section 4-307, whether or not money changes hands. The section carves out four exceptions: government agencies and 501(c)(3) nonprofit rescue or humane organizations, permitted dog or cat shows, permitted pet stores selling or transferring dogs or cats within the store, and any dog or cat that has already been sterilized. So a Richmond pet store can sell dogs or cats on-premises if it is itself permitted, but a private seller offering an unsterilized, unpermitted animal on a sidewalk or in a parking lot is violating the section regardless of price.

Sellers and transferors also owe disclosure duties under Section 4-309(a): they must tell the buyer about the City's license and permit requirements that apply to the animal. Commercial establishments selling dogs or cats bred within the City must prominently display the breeder's permit number, and those selling animals bred elsewhere must display the breeder's name and address. Section 4-309 additionally bars giving away a dog or cat as a contest prize or a business-arrangement inducement, and bars selling, bartering or giving one to a minor under 18 without a parent or guardian's written permission.