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Animal Welfare

The Animal
Welfare Division

The Animal Welfare Division promotes responsible pet ownership and the humane treatment of animals.  We have adopted the credo that the most important thing in life is to have a sense of purpose and to relieve the suffering of the animals in our communities.

Our qualified and compassionate animal welfare personnel render services and assistance to citizens upon request regarding domestic animals. Our animal welfare officers work to protect the public as well as the animals of the City of Newport News.

Animal Welfare Monthly Report

Animal Welfare Office

Animal Welfare Office

5843 Jefferson Avenue
Newport News, VA 23605

Email

animalwelfare@nnva.gov

Phone

Calls for Service and Office:
757-595-PETS (7387)

Hours

Patrol Hours
Daily
7 AM – 6 PM

Office Hours
Monday – Friday (except Holidays)
8 AM – 6 PM

Emergency Service Hours
Daily
6 PM – 7 AM

Wildlife Response
757-543-700

Animal welfare services

Click for more info!

› After Hours Emergency Service

› Animal Cruelty Investigations

› Animal Sheltering, Strays & Owner Surrenders

› Barking Dogs & “Pooper-Scooper” Law Enforcement

› Community Education Programs

› Dangerous & Vicious Dog Investigations

› Disaster Preparedness

› Dog Tethering

› Free-roaming Cat Assistance

› Leash Law Enforcement

› Lost & Found Animals

› Pet Licensing

› Rabies Control

Adopt a friend!

The Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter is currently operating under normal operating hours for adoptions, owner surrenders, stray drop offs and reclaims.

Learn More

Peninsula Regional ANimal Shelter

The Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter is currently operating under normal operating hours for adoptions, owner surrenders, stray drop offs and reclaims.

Learn More

700 Town Center Drive Suite 320
Newport News, VA 23606

Phone: 757-926-1400

Email: nnparks-and-recreation@nnva.gov

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After Hours Emergency Service

The Animal Welfare Division (AWD) provides after-hours response in order to protect the health and safety of animals and the public. On-call Animal Welfare Officers (AWO) respond only to emergencies such as injured animals, animal bites, vicious dogs, and severe animal cruelty situations which immediately threaten an animal’s life. The on-call ACO can be reached by calling the ASD at 757-595-7387 and following the voice prompts, or by calling 911.

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Animal Cruelty Investigations

The Animal Welfare Division (AWD) is dedicated to the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the city by enforcing state and local animal welfare laws and ordinances. We investigate complaints of animal abuse, dog fighting, unlawful killing, and abandonment. We also follow up on complaints of animals kept without adequate food, water, and shelter, as well as animals kept on short or entangled tethers.

Report Animal Cruelty
Citizens observing animal cruelty or neglect situations should contact the AWD directly at 757-595-7387. In order to ensure a complaint is properly investigated, citizens should attempt to obtain the exact address of the location where the incident is taking place. If the address is not visible, cross streets or the addresses on either side of the location should be obtained.

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Animal Sheltering, Strays & Owner Surrenders

Animal Sheltering
The Animal Welfare Division (AWD) impounds all animals at the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter where they are housed pending redemption by owners, adoption by citizens, or other disposition as provided by statute, ordinance, and regulation.

Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter (PRAS)
The Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter is located at 5843 Jefferson Ave Newport News, VA 23605. For more information about the shelter and for information about the hours of operation, call 757-933-8900 or visit their website at www.peninsulaanimalshelter.com.

Strays
The Animal Welfare Division picks up stray animals running at large and impounds them at the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter. The shelter houses them until the owners are found, they are adopted, or, if unadoptable, they are euthanized.

Owner Surrenders
Unwanted animals may be owner-surrendered to the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter. The AWD does not normally pick up owner-surrendered animals. Citizens are requested to bring their pet directly to the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter in order to complete an Animal Surrender Form which provides detailed information about the pet and increases the pet’s chances of adoption.

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Barking Dogs & "Pooper-Scooper" Law Enforcement

Local ordinance requires pet owners to clean up after their animals and keep their animals from disturbing the peace by frequent or long continued noises. Since these violations are difficult for Animal Welfare Officers to directly observe, the Animal Welfare Division (AWD) does not regularly issue summonses for these violations. However, the AWD will send a letter advising the animal owner of the complaint and relevant laws. The letter also includes tips on controlling barking dogs. To have a letter mailed, call the AWD with the exact address of the animal owner and a brief description of the violation.

If the problem is not resolved by the letter, citizens may enforce the law by contacting the Magistrate’s Office to have a summons written for which the pet owner may receive a fine. The Magistrate’s Office is located at 224 26th Street. More information about the Magistrate’s Office can be obtained by calling
757-926-8475.

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Community Education Programs

The Animal Welfare Division (AWD) is dedicated to promoting responsible pet ownership through education. The AWD maintains supplies of educational materials and handouts about various topics including, but not limited to, animal health, animal behavior, training, spay / neuter services, disaster preparation, and other animal agencies. The AWD staff makes themselves available to educational and civic organizations for presentations about their mission, services, animal laws, responsible pet care, and the citizen’s role in promoting animal welfare.

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Dangerous & Vicious Dog Investigations

The Animal Welfare Division (AWD) conducts investigations of dangerous and vicious dogs. A dog can be classified as dangerous when it has bitten, attacked, or inflicted injury on a person or a companion animal, or has killed a companion animal that is a dog or cat. A dog can be classified as vicious when it kills or inflicts serious injury to a person, including multiple bites, serious disfigurement, serious impairment of health, or serious impairment of a body function. A dog cannot be found dangerous or vicious based solely upon breed, or if no serious physical injury has occurred, the attack occurs on the property of the biting dog’s owner, or for other good cause as determined by the court.

Reporting a Dangerous or Vicious Dog
Citizens that believe a dog is dangerous or vicious should contact the AWD. An animal control officer or law-enforcement officer may apply to the Magistrate requesting a hearing. Victims and witnesses may be required to submit written testimony, photographs of the injury, or statements from physicians or veterinarians. Victims and witnesses may also be required to appear in court.

Possible Court Actions
If a court determines a dog is dangerous, the owner must obtain a dangerous dog license, confine the dog indoors or in a proper enclosure, properly post the property on which the dog is housed, spay or neuter the dog, tattoo or microchip the dog, purchase $100,000 liability insurance, and register the dog annually with the city and the state. If a dog is determined to be vicious, the dog must be humanely euthanized.

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Disaster Preparedness

The Animal Welfare Division (AWD) is dedicated to educating the citizens of Newport News on how to protect their pets in the event of a disaster. Information and educational brochures are distributed during regular contacts with pet owners in the field, during special events, and through public services announcements. The AWD staff frequently meets with emergency planners, animal control agencies, animal shelters, and national organizations to develop emergency plans.

Planning For Disasters
The best way to protect your family and pets from the effects of a disaster is to have a plan. Please plan to evacuate your pets. Leaving pets behind, even if you try to create a safe place for them, may result in injury or loss.

Plan Ahead To Take Your Pets
Make arrangements with family or friends outside your immediate area to temporarily shelter your pets. Have a list of pet-friendly hotels and boarding facilities along your evacuation route. Visit the Pets Welcome website for a list of pet-friendly hotels.

Plan Ahead To Bring What You Need
Bring a leash or carrier, food and water for three days, and any necessary medications. Also bring your pet’s photo and rabies vaccination certificate.

Have A Backup Plan If You Are Out Of Town Or Working
Develop a buddy system with neighbors or relatives to make sure that someone is available to care for or evacuate your pets if you are unable to do so.

Identify Your Pets
Make sure your pets are wearing up-to-date licenses and identification at all times. It’s a good idea to include the phone number of a friend or relative outside your immediate area in case you can’t be reached directly. Microchipping is also recommended.

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Dog Tethering

Unattended tethering is prohibited.

Newport News Code Section 6-78. Unattended tethering of dogs prohibited; exceptions.

A. It shall be unlawful to tether any unattended dog. For the purposes of this section, a dog is attended only if the owner or custodian is both outdoors and within sight of the dog.
B. When a dog is tethered, it must have adequate space as defined in Section 6-1.1.
C. Any owner, whose dog has a valid license pursuant to Section 6-33 as of February, 1 2015, shall be exempt from the provisions of this section as it relates to each dog owned and licensed prior to February 1, 2015. The exemption provided by this subsection shall be forever forfeit for any dog whose license is not renewed by February 1 of any subsequent year.
D. Violations of this section shall constitute a Class 3 misdemeanor.

Healthy alternatives to tethering are:

– Bring your dog inside. This is the ideal situation for your dog to become a part of the family.
– Spay and Neuter. A neutered male is less likely to try to escape a fence or ‘mark’ in the home. A spayed female dog will not go into heat, so she will not roam to look for a mate. Also, spaying reduces unwanted litters of puppies, helping to decrease the number of strays in our communities.
– Install a fence. A secure fence, at the appropriate height, gives your dog limited freedom and makes house training easier, allowing quick access to the outdoors. Fencing can be cheap and easy to put up. We are glad to provide information on organizations that will help you build or improve fences and dog runs in your yard.

Resource documents about tethering and tethering alternatives:

– Helpful ways to make your dog happy
– How to build a fence by Hoover Fence
– How to build a fence with “do it yourself” instructions

For further information contact Newport News Animal Services at 757-595-7387.

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Free-roaming Cat Assistance

The Animal Welfare Division (AWD) provides assistance with free-roaming cats and offers humane traps to Newport News citizens. Feeding free-roaming cats is prohibited by City Code without a Free-Roaming Cat Colony Permit. For information on trap rentals or colony permits, contact the AWD at 757-595-7387.

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Leash Law Enforcement

Dog owners are required to keep their dog under their immediate control any time the dog is taken off their property (Section 6-25). In order for an Animal Welfare Officer (AWO) to issue a summons, the AWO must directly observe a violation. For violations that occur outside of an officer’s presence, the Animal Welfare Division may send a letter to the animal owner’s residence, or send an officer to speak with the resident. Citizens may also enforce the law by contacting the Magistrate’s Office to have a summons written for which the pet owner may receive a fine. For information, call the Magistrate’s Office at 757-926-8475.

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Lost & Found Animals

The Animal Welfare Division maintains a list of lost and found pets and records of every animal impounded by its officers. All animals are sheltered at the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter (PRAS). The Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter is located at 5843 Jefferson Ave Newport News, VA 23605. For more information about the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter and for information about the shelter’s hours of operation, call 757-933-8900 or visit the their website at www.peninsulaanimalshelter.com.

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Pet Licensing

All dogs and cats four months old and older are required by state and local laws to wear a rabies tag and an animal license tag on their collar. City license tags are good for one calendar year and go on sale November 1 and must be purchased by January 31. A license must also be purchased during the year if an animal becomes four months old or an owner comes into possession of an animal between January 1 and November 1. Licenses are $5 for spayed and neutered animals and $10 for unaltered animals.

Purchasing Locations
Licenses can be purchased at:

Treasurer’s Office – City Hall Annex
2400 Washington Ave.
Newport News, VA 23607

Treasurer’s Office – Denbigh Office Annex
12912 Jefferson Ave.
Newport News, VA 23608

Animal Welfare
5843 Jefferson Ave.
Newport News, VA 23605
You can also print an Animal License Request Form (PDF), fill it out, and mail it to the Treasurer’s Office.

Licensing Details
You must present a current rabies certificate from a veterinarian in order to apply for a license. You may not register more than four domesticated animals (dogs and/or cats) per residential unit without first receiving permission from the Department of Codes Compliance at 757-926-8861.

For more information about animal licenses, call the Treasurer’s Office at 757-926-8642.

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Rabies Control

Citizens can report animal bites to the Animal Services Division or directly to the Department of Public Health. The Department of Public Health investigates animal bites and confines, and observes cats and dogs that have bitten or scratched someone to look for signs of rabies. Wild animals who have bitten or scratched someone are laboratory tested for rabies. For more information, call 757-594-7340.

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