The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Subchapter
001
:
GENERAL PROVISIONS
(Cite as: 20 V.S.A. § 3545)
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§ 3545. Right to kill domestic pets or wolf-hybrids generally
(a) A person may kill a domestic pet or wolf-hybrid that suddenly assaults him or her
or when necessary to discontinue an attack upon the person, or another person, provided
that the attack or assault does not occur while the domestic pet or wolf-hybrid is
restrained, within an enclosure containing the domestic pet or wolf-hybrid, or on
the premises of the owner.
(b) A domestic pet or wolf-hybrid found wounding, killing, or worrying another domestic
pet or wolf-hybrid, a domestic animal, or fowl may be killed when the attendant circumstances
are such that the killing is reasonably necessary to prevent injury to the animal
or fowl that is the subject of the attack. (Amended 1977, No. 215 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. April 12, 1978; 1979, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Feb. 28, 1980; 1993, No. 213 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. June 15, 1994.)