Title 4, Title 4 and Animal Husbandry

No provision of this chapter prohibits any city or town from adopting any provision of this chapter as a municipal ordinance.

As used in this chapter, chapter 13 of this title, and the regulations promulgated under this chapter: (1) “Adequate feed” means the provision at suitable intervals, not to exceed twenty-four (24) hours, of a quantity of wholesome foodstuff suitable for the species and age, suffi…

If any provision of this chapter or the application of any provision to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of the chapter and the application of any provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid shall not be affected…

Wherever the word “owner” shall appear in this chapter it shall also mean and may be interchanged with the word “guardian” as defined in § 4-19-2.

(a) Effective January 1, 2019, no municipality shall employ any animal control officer who has not received certification to be an animal control officer from the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA) or other equivalent organization as determined by the Rhode Island …

(a) A public animal shelter shall not charge an adoption fee for a dog or cat if the person adopting the dog or cat presents to the public animal shelter a current and valid driver’s license or identification card with the word “veteran” printed on its face pursuant to § 31-10-48…

(a) For the purposes of this section, “police dog” means: a dog owned by a police department or police agency of the state of Rhode Island or any political subdivision thereof, that is used by the department or agency for official duties. (b) EMS personnel may provide emergency t…

No municipality shall operate a dog pound unless a certificate of registration for that dog pound has been granted by the director. Application for that certificate shall be made in the manner provided by the director. No fee is required for the application or certificate. Certif…

No person shall operate an animal shelter, rescue, or as a broker unless a certificate of registration for that animal shelter, rescue, or broker has been granted by the director. Application for that certificate shall be made in the manner provided by the director. No fee is req…

(a) A pet shop shall send the following records to the department of environmental management on or before May 1 and November 1 of every year, documenting the following for each dog or cat offered for sale during the previous six (6) months: (1) A health certificate signed by a l…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, exchange, trade, barter, lease, or display for a commercial purpose any dog or cat on any roadside, public right-of-way, parkway, median, park, other recreation area, flea market or other outdoor market, or commercial or retail par…

No person shall operate a pet shop, as defined in this chapter, unless a license to operate that establishment shall have been granted by the director. Application for that license shall be made in the manner provided by the director. The license period is the state’s fiscal year…

No person shall act as a breeder, as defined in § 4-19-2, unless in possession of a valid license to operate as a breeder granted by the director. Application for that license shall be made in the manner provided by the director. The license period is the state’s fiscal year and …

No person shall act as a trainer, as defined in § 4-19-2, unless in possession of a valid kennel license as set forth in § 4-19-6. Provided, however, persons engaged in dog training activities for dog training programs operated by government agencies, or operated by a not-for-pro…

(a) No person shall operate a public auction or a kennel, as defined in this chapter, unless a license to operate that establishment has been granted by the director. Application for the license shall be made in the manner provided by the director. The license period is the fisca…

No person shall operate as a dealer, as defined in this chapter, after the first day of the fiscal year unless a license to deal has been granted by the director to that person. Application for the license shall be made in the manner provided by the director. The license period i…

(a) A certificate of registration may be denied to any pound or animal shelter, rescue, or broker, and a license may be denied to any public auction, kennel, breeder, pet shop, trainer, or dealer or, if granted, the certificate or license may be revoked by the director if, after …

Any person who operates as a pet shop, kennel, breeder, or public auction without a currently valid license shall, upon conviction, plea of guilty, or plea of nolo contendere, be punished pursuant to § 4-19-11.3. Each day of operation shall constitute a separate offense. Advertis…

The purpose of this chapter is to establish guidelines and criteria for rodeo and rodeo related activities relative to humane treatment of rodeo animals and rodeo livestock in the state.

No person, firm, corporation, or association shall conduct or promote any rodeo without first having notified in writing the animal control officer of the city or town in which this event is to take place. The notification shall include the dates and times of this event and the i…

No person, firm, corporation, or association shall conduct or promote any rodeo without requiring the presence of a veterinarian licensed to practice in Rhode Island during the time that this event is taking place. The veterinarian employed shall be one who has had experience in …

Rodeo events involving animals/livestock shall be limited to bareback riding, saddle bronk riding, bull riding, calf roping, as provided in § 4-20-7, breakaway calf-roping, steer wrestling, team riding, barrel racing, team roping, wild horse racing, chuckwagon racing, quarter hor…

The appointed veterinarian, once appointed to oversee any rodeo, shall have access to the complete site of any activity involving animals to be employed in the event. The veterinarian shall have complete authority over the treatment and use of any animal that becomes injured in t…

The person in charge, as communicated to the animal control officer in accordance with § 4-20-1, is required to be present and available for communication while the event is taking place. In the event that the person in charge, as communicated in accordance with § 4-20-1, is unab…

The roping of any calf in any rodeo is limited to breakaway calf roping, where the calf is released immediately after it is roped without the animal being subjected to a sudden stop or fall.

No person shall participate in any rodeo activity who has been convicted of cruelty to animals while participating in any rodeo.

Whoever violates any provision of this chapter, shall, for each offense be fined not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500).

For the purpose of this chapter, the following words or phrases shall have the following meanings: (1) “Engages in an equine activity” means riding, training, assisting in veterinary treatment of, driving, or being a passenger upon an equine, whether mounted or unmounted, visitin…

Except as provided in § 4-21-3, an equine activity sponsor, an equine professional, or any other person, which shall include a corporation or partnership, shall not be liable for an injury to or the death of a participant resulting from the inherent risks of equine activities unl…

(a) This chapter does not apply to horse racing meetings to which chapter 3 of title 41 is applicable. (b) Nothing in § 4-21-2 prevents or limits the liability of an equine activity sponsor, an equine professional, or any other person if the equine activity sponsor, equine profes…

(a) Every equine professional shall post and maintain signs which contain the warning notice specified in subsection (b). These signs shall be placed in a clearly visible location in the proximity of the equine activity. The warning notice specified in subsection (b) shall appear…

The state finds that a cat identification program, which would require an owner of a cat to maintain an identification for the cat, would serve the following public purposes: (1) Cat identification would provide cats protection under the law, equal to that afforded dogs, by estab…

Wherever the word “owner” shall appear in this chapter it shall also mean and may be interchanged with the word “guardian” as defined in § 4-22-2.

For the purposes of this chapter: (a) “At-large” means: (1) On the premises of a person other than an owner of the cat, without the consent of an occupant or owner of such premises, or (2) on a public street or highway, on public or private school grounds, or in any other public …

It shall be unlawful for any person to be an owner of a cat over three months of age unless the person maintains an identification worn by the cat at all times. The identification provisions in this law are not applicable to the following: (a) A cat brought into the state exclusi…

It shall be unlawful for any person other than an animal control officer, a licensed veterinarian, an employee of a licensed animal shelter, an employee of a licensed municipal pound, or a person authorized by an animal control officer to remove any identification from any cat no…

(a) In the case of any at-large or roaming or feral cat released to or impounded in a licensed animal shelter or licensed municipal pound wearing any form of identification specified in the definitions section the animal shelter or pound shall make a reasonable attempt to notify …

An impounded at-large, roaming, or feral cat not wearing any identification may not be released to the owner of the cat until the owner complies with the identification requirements of this article.

Any animal control officer, and his agents, may issue to any person in violation of this section a notice of violation. Persons who violate any provision of this section shall be subject to a fine as defined under § 4-13-1 per violation per animal. Each and every incidence which …

Animal control officers and their agents are authorized and empowered to impound any roaming or feral cat at-large and to dispose of the same pursuant to the provisions of § 4-19-12. Licensed animal shelters are authorized to accept any roaming or feral cat released to them for i…

No provision of this chapter shall prohibit any city or town from adopting any provision of this chapter as a municipal ordinance.

(a) A trust may be created to provide for the care of an animal alive during the settlor’s lifetime. The trust terminates upon the death of the animal, or if the trust was created to provided for the care of more than one animal alive during the settlor’s lifetime upon the death …

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Rhode Island Permit Program for Cats.”

Any person who violates the permit provisions of this chapter shall have no more than thirty (30) days to have their cat spayed or neutered or provide proof from a licensed veterinarian indicating that arrangements have been made to spay or neuter their cat(s). The animal control…

The local animal control officer shall be responsible for the enforcement and administration of this chapter.

Persons harboring a cat subject to this chapter on the effective date thereof [June 9, 2006] shall be given one hundred twenty (120) days from the date to comply with the provisions thereof.