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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia House Bill 4800 expands dog-attack penalties to include any other livestock
Last action · February 11, 2026: To House Government OrganizationSponsor: Jonathan Pinson
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 4800 amends West Virginia code to explicitly expand the penalties and owner liabilities for dogs that wound, worry, chase, or kill livestock to include any other livestock defined in state code §19-18-1.
Livestock owners gain explicit statutory protections and compensation rights when their animals, beyond those specifically enumerated in legacy code, are attacked or killed by wandering dogs.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Livestock owners
Livestock owners gain explicit statutory liability coverage and compensation rights for a broader range of farm animals attacked by dogs.
Dog owners
Dog owners face financial liability and statutory duties to destroy dogs that attack any category of defined livestock outside their enclosures.
Key Facts
- House Bill 4800 adds a proviso to West Virginia Code §19-20-18 to include 'any other livestock' as defined in §19-18-1 under dog-attack penalties.
- Dog owners remain under a duty to kill or dispose of a dog within 48 hours of receiving written notice under oath that the dog has worried, wounded, chased, or killed livestock out of its enclosure.
- Magistrates are authorized to issue a warrant to the sheriff to kill or dispose of a dog if the owner refuses to do so after satisfactory proof of the offense.
- Dog owners whose dogs are killed are liable for the costs of the proceedings, including a 50-cent fee for the officer, and liable to the livestock owner or county commission for the value of the injured or killed animals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does House Bill 4800 change about existing law?
What is required of a dog owner if their dog attacks livestock outside their enclosure?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
6 actions- Feb 11, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Government Organization
- Jan 23, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Agriculture, Commerce and Tourism
- Jan 23, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Government Organization
- Jan 23, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Jan 23, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Government Organization
- Jan 23, 2026HouseIntroducedFiled for introduction
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 25)
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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