§ 4-13-1. Regulatory ordinances — Enforcement and penalties. (a) City or town councils may make any ordinances concerning dogs in their cities or towns as they deem expedient, to be enforced by the destruction or disposition of the animal, or by pecuniary penalties not exceeding ten dollars ($10.00) for the first offense, not exceeding fifteen […]
§ 4-13-1.1. Towns of Portsmouth, West Warwick, and Middletown and city of Woonsocket — Vicious dog ordinance. (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section or the general laws to the contrary, the town councils of the towns of Portsmouth, West Warwick and Middletown may, by ordinance, provide that the owner or keeper of any […]
§ 4-13-1.2. Definitions. (1) “Adequate shelter” means the provision of and access to shelter that is suitable for the species, age, condition, size, and type of each dog; provides sufficient space for the dog to maintain comfortable rest, normal posture, and range of movement; and is safe to protect each dog from injury, rain, sleet, […]
§ 4-13-1.3. Rabies control board. (a) There shall be a rabies control board consisting of seven (7) people as follows: (1) The director of the Rhode Island department of environmental management, or his or her designee; (2) The director of the Rhode Island department of health, or his or her designee; (3) A Rhode Island […]
§ 4-13-10. Thoroughbred dogs exempt — Kennel licenses. No license fee is imposed on any thoroughbred dogs kept for breeding and stud purposes only; provided, that the dog is owned by a breeder or annual exhibitor of thoroughbred dogs; and provided, further, that the dogs are kept in a breeding kennel licensed in accordance with […]
§ 4-13-11. Annual census of dogs — List of licenses issued. The city or town sergeant of each city or town, or any special constables as the city or town council of the city or town may appoint, annually in the month of April, shall ascertain and make a list of the owners or keepers […]
§ 4-13-12. Repealed. History of Section.G.L. 1896, ch. 111, § 13; P.L. 1897, ch. 453, § 1; G.L. 1909, ch. 135, § 13; G.L. 1923, ch. 136, § 13; G.L. 1938, ch. 639, § 13; G.L. 1956, § 4-13-12; Repealed by P.L. 1985, ch. 270, § 1, effective June 19, 1985.
§ 4-13-13. Wrongful removal of collar — Theft or destruction of licensed dogs — Poisoning. Whoever wrongfully removes the collar from the neck of a dog licensed and collared according to the provisions of this chapter, or steals a dog licensed or collared, or kills, maims, entices, carries away, or detains a licensed dog, or […]
§ 4-13-14. Licensing by police authorities. The duties imposed on town and city clerks by this chapter shall be performed by the boards of police commissioners, respectively, in the cities and towns where these boards grant the dog licenses, and in the city of Newport by the chief of police of that city. History of […]
§ 4-13-15. Collaring of dogs — Impoundment and disposition of uncollared dogs. (a) Every owner or keeper of a dog shall cause the dog to wear a collar around its neck distinctly marked with its owner’s or keeper’s name and with its registered number. Any person may cause any dog not so collared to be […]
§ 4-13-15.1. Ordinances concerning unrestricted and vicious dogs prohibited — Leash laws. (a) City or town councils may make any ordinances concerning dogs in their cities or towns as the councils deem expedient, pertaining to the conduct of dogs, which ordinances shall include regulations relating to unrestricted dogs, leash laws, confinement, and destruction of vicious […]
§ 4-13-16. Action for damages to animals — Double damages on second recovery — Destruction of offending dog. If any dog kills, wounds, worries, or assists in killing, wounding or worrying, any sheep, lamb, cattle, horse, hog, swine, fowl, or other domestic animal belonging to or in the possession of any person, or assaults, bites, […]
§ 4-13-16.1. Injury to seeing-eye dogs or persons who are visually impaired— Damages. If any dog kills, wounds, or worries, or assists in killing, wounding, or worrying, any seeing-eye dog certified for use as a guide-dog for a person who is blind or visually impaired, belonging to or in the possession of any person who […]
§ 4-13-17. Civil liability of person harboring dog for damages. Any person keeping or harboring in his or her house or on his or her lands any dog, or knowingly suffering this to be done by any other person, shall be liable for all damages done by the dog in the same manner as if […]
§ 4-13-18. Destruction of dogs in defense of person or livestock. Any person may kill any dog that suddenly assaults him or her or any person of his or her family or in his or her company, while the person assaulted is out of the enclosure of the owner or keeper of that dog and […]
§ 4-13-19. Order to confine or kill vicious dog — Subsequent damages. (a) If any person, or any member of his or her family shall be assaulted by any dog, out of the enclosure of its owner or keeper, or if any person shall have reason to believe that any dog will, out of that […]
§ 4-13-2. Tax imposed by cities and towns — Enactment of local laws to prevent damage to livestock. The city or town council of any city or town may impose a yearly tax upon every person in their city or town for every dog owned or kept by him or her as the council shall […]
§ 4-13-20. Appraisal of damages done by dogs. Each town or city council, excepting the town and city councils in the cities of Newport and Pawtucket and in the towns of Jamestown, Little Compton, New Shoreham, Tiverton, Exeter, and Burrillville shall annually in the month of April appoint one or more suitable persons as appraisers, […]
§ 4-13-21. Appraisal and payment of damages in certain Newport county towns. Each town or city council in the county of Newport, except in the towns of Middletown and Portsmouth, shall annually in the month of April appoint one or more suitable persons appraisers, who shall be sworn to the faithful discharge of their duties, […]
§ 4-13-22. Subrogation of town or city to claim for damages. Upon drawing an order as provided in §§ 4-13-20 and 4-13-21, the town or city may recover, in a civil action against the keeper or owner of any dog involved in the damage, full compensation for the damage done by his or her dog […]
