House 4800

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 4800

By Delegate Pinson

[Introduced January 23, 2026; referred to the Committee on Government Organization]

A BILL to amend and reenact §19-20-18 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to dogs and cats; and providing for "any other livestock" as it pertains to penalties for dogs wounding livestock.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 20. Dogs and Cats

§19-20-18. Same -- Duty of owner to kill dog; proceeding before magistrate on failure of owner to kill.

The owner or keeper of a dog that has been worrying, wounding, chasing or killing any sheep, lambs, goats, kids, calves, cattle, swine, show or breeding rabbits, horses, colts or poultry not the property of the owner or keeper, out of his or her enclosure, shall, within forty-eight 48 hours, after having received notice thereof in writing from a reliable and trustworthy source, under oath, kill the dog or direct that the dog be killed. If the owner or keeper refuses to kill the dog as hereinbefore provided, the magistrate, upon information, shall summon the owner or keeper of the dog, and, after receiving satisfactory proof that this dog did the mischief, shall issue a warrant on application being made by the owner of the sheep, lambs, goats, kids, calves, cattle, swine, show or breeding rabbits, horses, or colts or poultry killed; and give it into the hands of the sheriff, who shall kill the dog forthwith or dispose of by other available methods. The cost of the proceedings shall be paid by the owner or keeper of the dog so killed, including a fee of 50¢ to the officer killing the dog. The owner or keeper of the dog so killed shall, in addition to the costs, be liable to the owner of the sheep, lambs, goats, kids, calves, cattle, swine, show or breeding rabbits, horses, colts or poultry or to the county commission for the value of the sheep, lambs, goats, kids, calves, cattle, swine, show or breeding rabbits, horses or colts or poultry so killed or injured: Provided, That the penalties in this section shall apply to all the livestock listed herein and any other livestock, as that term is defined in §19-18-1 of this code, that may not be named in this section.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to add "any other livestock" as it pertains to penalties for dogs wounding livestock.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.