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Board adopts civil-penalty structure for dogs running at large; fines set at $100, $200, $500
Summary
Supervisors approved amendments to county code that set graduated civil penalties for repeated violations of dog-running-at-large and unrestricted-dogs rules, giving judges discretion and leaving animal-control officers ability to warn or pursue summonses.
The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors voted 5‑0 on Sept. 17 to amend county ordinances to add a graduated civil‑penalty structure for violations of the county's dogs-running-at-large and unrestricted‑dogs-in-county‑parks provisions.
Under the adopted change, the board established three discretionary civil-penalty levels for repeat violations brought to court: $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second violation and $500 for a third or subsequent violation. The ordinance preserves judicial discretion to suspend parts of fines for good behavior. The county's mandatory fine for dogs running in packs remains unchanged per state code.
Why this matters: The amendment gives animal-control officers and judges a clearer statutory penalty range to use against repeat offending dog owners, which county staff said will help address nuisance or dangerous dog behavior that was previously difficult to prosecute because of ambiguity about how to count violations.
Implementation and enforcement: Staff explained the animal-control officer retains discretion to issue warnings for first‑time or accidental incidents (for example, an underground-fence failure) before issuing a summons. The new penalty schedule makes clear that repeat offenders can face escalating penalties when taken to general district court.
Vote: The board approved the code amendments by unanimous vote; the changes were advertised in the required public-notice process and the planning commission had previously reviewed related definitions.
Ending: The revised penalties are intended to provide a clearer enforcement tool while preserving officer discretion and judicial sentencing choices.
