§ 4-1-1. Definitions — Responsibility for agents and employees. (a) In this chapter and in §§ 4-4-9, 4-4-10, and 23-19-8: (1) “Animal” and “animals” means every living creature except a human being. (2) “Licensed graduate veterinarian” or “veterinarian” means a person licensed to engage in the practice of veterinary medicine, surgery, and dentistry in this […]
§ 4-1-10. Possession or training of fighting animals. Whoever owns, possesses, keeps or trains any bird, dog, or other animal, with the intent that that bird, dog, or animal engages in an exhibition of fighting, shall be fined not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000) and/or be imprisoned not exceeding two (2) years for the first […]
§ 4-1-11. Attendance at bird or animal fight. Whoever is present at any place, building, or tenement where preparations are being made for an exhibition of the fighting of birds or animals, with the intent being present at that exhibition, or is present at that exhibition, shall be fined not exceeding one thousand five hundred […]
§ 4-1-12. Entry of premises where bird or animal fights are conducted — Arrest — Seizure of birds or animals. Any deputy sheriff, town sergeant, town constable, police officer, or any officer authorized to serve criminal process may enter any place, building, or tenement anywhere within the state where there is an exhibition of the […]
§ 4-1-13. Forfeiture of fighting birds or animals. After the seizure of any birds or animals as provided in § 4-1-12, application shall be made to a district court or the superior court for a sentence of forfeiture of the birds or animals; and if, upon the hearing of the application, it is found that […]
§ 4-1-14. Appeal of sentence of forfeiture. Any claimant aggrieved by a sentence of forfeiture of a district court may, before the execution of that sentence, appeal to the superior court in the manner provided with reference to criminal appeals from district courts. History of Section.G.L. 1896, ch. 114, § 13; C.P.A. 1905, § 1122; […]
§ 4-1-15. Expense of care of seized birds or animals. The necessary expenses incurred in the care and disposing of seized birds or animals may be allowed and paid in the same manner that costs in criminal prosecutions are paid. History of Section.G.L. 1896, ch. 114, § 14; G.L. 1909, ch. 138, § 14; G.L. […]
§ 4-1-16. Use of birds as targets. Any person who keeps or uses any live pigeon, fowl, or other bird for the purpose of a target or to be shot at, either for amusement or as a test of skill in marksmanship, and any person who shoots at any bird or is a party to […]
§ 4-1-17. Unloading of animals in transit for rest, water, and feeding. (a) No railroad company, in the transportation of animals, shall permit those animals to be confined in cars, after they have been confined twenty-eight (28) consecutive hours, without unloading those animals for rest, water, and feeding for at least five (5) consecutive hours, […]
§ 4-1-18. Arrest of violators without warrant — Care of animals. Any person violating this chapter may be arrested on view and held without a warrant; provided, that an arrest or detention without warrant shall not continue longer than twenty-four (24) hours; and the person making an arrest, with or without a warrant, shall use […]
§ 4-1-19. Issuance of search warrants. Whenever complaint is made on oath to any magistrate authorized to issue warrants in criminal cases, that the complainant believes and has reasonable cause to believe that the laws in relation to cruelty to animals have been or are being violated in any building or place, the magistrate, if […]
§ 4-1-2. Overwork, mistreatment, or failure to feed animals — Shelter defined. (a) Whoever overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, overworks, tortures, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance, cruelly beats, mutilates, or cruelly kills, or causes or procures to be so overdriven, overloaded, driven when overloaded, overworked, tortured, tormented, deprived of necessary sustenance, cruelly beaten, or mutilated, […]
§ 4-1-20. Duty of police officers — Fines paid to society for prevention of cruelty to animals. Any deputy sheriff, town constable, or police officer shall prosecute all violations of this chapter that come to his or her knowledge and all fines and forfeitures resulting from the complaint of any officer or agent of the […]
§ 4-1-21. Powers of agents of society for prevention of cruelty to animals. The general agent of the Rhode Island society for the prevention of cruelty to animals and any number of special agents as may be appointed by that society have the same power and authority to arrest as any officer authorized to serve […]
§ 4-1-22. Care of neglected animals by society — Forfeiture of owner’s rights — Expenses. (a) An officer or agent of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals may lawfully take charge of and shall provide adequate care to any animal found abandoned or neglected or hazardously accumulated as defined in […]
§ 4-1-23. Destruction of infirm animals by society. If, upon examination by a licensed graduate veterinarian of any animal taken possession of under § 4-1-22, the veterinarian certifies, in writing, to the society that the animal is so aged, maimed, disabled, lame, sick, diseased, or injured as to be unfit for any useful purpose, any […]
§ 4-1-24. Jurisdiction of offenses — Appeals. The district court has concurrent jurisdiction with the superior court, over all offenses under this chapter and to the full extent of the penalties specified. Parties defendant, however, have the same right to appeal from the sentence of a district court as is now provided by law in […]
§ 4-1-25. Appropriations for prevention of cruelty — Payments to society. The general assembly shall annually appropriate any sum it deems necessary, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be expended under the direction of the director of environmental management, for the purpose of preventing cruelty to animals, and the director […]
§ 4-1-26. Abandonment of animals. (a) If any person having possession and/or control of an animal abandons that animal on a street, road, highway or in a public place or on private property or from a motor vehicle, or in a dwelling or any other building or structure without providing for the care of that […]
§ 4-1-26.1. Reports of abandoned, neglected or abused animals. (a) Any Rhode Island licensed veterinarian, veterinarian technician, animal shelter, animal kennel, or other person entrusted with the care or custody of an animal shall report to any police department (local or state), animal control officials, or officers of private organizations devoted to the humane treatment […]
