Richmond’s new animal cruelty registry hopes to prevent convicted felons from doing more harm

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) has officially launched its animal cruelty registry, a move advocates have said will help keep convicted offenders from harming animals again.

On Friday, Nov. 7, RACC announced that its animal cruelty registry is now live and available for public viewing. This effort was made possible by a new state law that went into effect on July 1, allowing localities to make and maintain such registries.

Under the law, persons eligible to be included within these registries are those who have been convicted of certain types of felony animal cruelty. This includes felonies like animal fighting, or the maiming, killing or poisoning of an animal.

After being on the registries for at least 15 years, convicted persons can also request the removal of their names and information, provided that they have no new animal cruelty felonies.

Animal welfare advocates previously told 8News that registries like this can help keep those previously convicted of serious animal cruelty-related crimes from accessing animals again, possibly preventing future harm.

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"None of this is happy, but our team works hard every single day to bring justice for the animals who suffer unthinkable injury or death," RACC said in the announcement. "This registry brings another layer of transparency to the work we do and we are grateful to be able to share it with you."

Richmond's animal cruelty registry can be viewed here. As of the time of reporting, it contains the names of 10 individuals, whose crimes include dog fighting, killing a dog by setting it on fire, fighting roosters and shooting a dog, among others.

The final person listed within the registry at this time has their information redacted, but their crime is listed as setting a cat on fire, causing its death. This is potentially the case of a 16-year-old boy setting a tuxedo cat on fire inside a crate in January 2024. As he is a juvenile, his information would be protected.

"The listing above does NOT account for the hundreds of felony charges secured by RACC that are amended to animal cruelty misdemeanors through plea negotiations in court," a note within the registry reads. "Such agreements are frequently utilized to impose enhanced prohibitions on animal ownership and extended sentencing conditions."

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RACC added on Friday that it is currently working on legislation that would allow agencies, such as itself, to list these amended cases within their registries.

"These cases are awful and heartbreaking and we are grateful to have you helping us fight the good fight every day in the City of Richmond," RACC said.

Notably, Virginia also has a statewide dangerous dog registry. This searchable database lists all dogs declared dangerous by any of the Commonwealth's courts. Local animal control officers can also use it to report dangerous dogs to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as they are required to by law.