Richmond and Henrico are among the first and only localities in Virginia to establish animal cruelty registries.
Why it matters: The goal is to give shelters and adoption agencies another tool to prevent pets from ending up in unsafe homes.
State of play: A state law that went into effect last year allows localities to create public animal cruelty registries that include:
- People convicted of felony animal cruelty offenses, like animal fighting and killing, poisoning or permanently injuring animals.
- Their name, address, what they did and conviction date.
The latest: Henrico’s Board of Supervisors voted last week to establish theirs, which will be run by county police.
- Richmond Animal Care & Control (RACC) launched the city’s version in November and maintains the list, director Christie Chipps Peters tells Axios.
- Peters says RACC didn’t go through City Council for approval because state code allows them to launch it directly.
How it works: Henrico officials will give people a heads-up before adding them to the registry. RACC won’t, says Peters.
- For Henrico, anyone convicted of felony animal cruelty offenses on or after July 1, 2024, when the law took effect, will be included.
- In Richmond, RACC’s internal database goes back to 2005 and staff are reviewing older paper files to “add to the list as we find felony convictions,” Peters says.
The intrigue: Neither registry will include photos — a decision that split Henrico supervisors.
- Supporters said booking photos would help shelters quickly verify identities.
- Opponents said mugshots have contributed to racial and socioeconomic biases and aren’t listed in state law as allowable information.
By the numbers: The Henrico Citizen reports that five county residents meet the criteria. Another 10 cases are pending.
- Richmond’s registry lists 10 people, but one entry’s name and address is redacted because the person is underage.
Of note: Those on a registry can request removal if it’s been 15 years since their conviction — and they’ve had no additional animal cruelty felonies since, per state law…