Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §3.2-6545 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§3.2-6545. Regulation of sale of animals procured from animal shelters; other animals.

Any A. The governing body of any locality that maintains or supports, in whole or in part, a public or private animal shelter may by ordinance provide that no person who acquires an animal from such shelter shall be able to sell the animal within a period of six months from the time the animal is acquired from the shelter. Violation of the ordinance is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

B. The governing body of any locality may by ordinance restrict the sale, offer for sale, delivery, brokering, or other transfer or disposal in any pet shop of any live dog or cat that was not obtained from (i) a releasing agency located in Virginia or (ii) an incorporated nonprofit organization whose primary mission and practice is the rescue and placement of abandoned, unwanted, neglected, or abused animals. Violation of the ordinance is a Class 1 misdemeanor.