Title 4, Title 4 and Animal Husbandry

(a) Any person or licensed business who provides or offers to the public, whether or not for compensation, any pet or pet related goods, where they are the primary products, or pet services shall provide to their clients, at no charge, information relating to pet care and ownersh…

(a) Any permit issued may be revoked if the animal control officer has reasonable cause to believe any of the following to be true: (1) The permittee has violated the provisions of chapter 19 of this title or any other state or local ordinances relating to the keeping, care or us…

Farmland defined as any tract or tracts of land, including woodland and wasteland constituting a farm unit which is actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural use including, but not limited to: forages and sod crops; grains and feed crops; fruits and vegetables; poultry, d…

If any cat is abandoned by their owner or any person having charge or custody of that cat, that person shall, for each offense be punished in the manner provided in § 4-1-2.

(a) Each city and town is required to collect a one dollar ($1.00) surcharge on each dog license issued by the municipality. The revenue generated by this surcharge shall be deposited in the respective city’s and town’s spay/neuter account to fund low-cost spay/neuter programs. (…

As used in this chapter: (1) “Clinically ill” means an illness that is apparent to a licensed veterinarian based on observation, examination, or testing of the dog. (2) “Nonelective surgical procedure” means a surgical procedure that is necessary to preserve or restore the health…

(a) Nothing in this chapter limits any other rights or remedies available to a consumer under law. (b) A seller and purchaser may agree to additional terms and conditions so long as they are not inconsistent with this chapter. The rights referred to in this chapter may not be wai…

(a) Every seller shall, at the time of sale, deliver to the purchaser of each dog a written statement containing the following information: (1) The date of the animal’s birth, if known; the breeders name and address, if known; and the date the seller received the animal, if not b…

(a) Upon the sale of a dog, a written disclosure signed and dated by both the seller and purchaser shall be provided and shall include: (1) A statement by the seller: (i) That the animal has no known disease or illness nor any congenital or hereditary condition that adversely aff…

A seller shall maintain the written record on the health and disposition of each dog sold by the seller for a period of two (2) years following the sale. The record shall also contain all of the information required to be disclosed pursuant to §§ 4-25-2 and 4-25-3 herein. These r…

(a) A purchaser is entitled to relief from the seller after the purchase of a dog if one of the following conditions occurs: (1) Within twenty (20) days after the purchase of the dog, a licensed veterinarian states in writing that the animal is suffering from or has died from an …

In order for the purchaser to obtain remedies as per § 4-25-5 herein he/she shall comply with all of the following requirements: (1) Notify the seller in writing as soon as practicable, but in no event more than ten (10) days after the diagnosis by a licensed veterinarian that th…

(a) Notwithstanding other provisions herein, no refund, replacement or reimbursement of veterinary fees shall be made if any of the following conditions occur: (1) The illness or death resulted from maltreatment or neglect or from an injury sustained or an illness contracted subs…

(a) If the purchaser and seller are unable to reach an agreement within ten (10) business days following an examination of the animal by the seller’s chosen veterinarian, the purchaser may initiate an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to resolve the dispute. (b) The pur…

(a) Every seller pursuant to this chapter shall post in a conspicuous location a notice stating that purchasers of animals have specific rights under law and that a written statement of such rights is available upon request. Such notice shall be in one hundred (100) point type an…

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Rhode Island Livestock Welfare and Care Standards Advisory Council Act of 2012.”

The general assembly hereby finds that: (1) Livestock is the core of dairy and livestock farming in Rhode Island. (2) The care and management of livestock are important to the profitability of Rhode Island farms and the maintenance of Rhode Island’s working landscape. (3) There e…

As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates a different meaning or intent: (1) “Advisory council” or “council” means the Rhode Island livestock welfare and care standards advisory council act of 2012 established pursuant to § 4-26-4. (2) “Agricultural operation” means a…

(a) There is established a livestock care standards advisory council consisting of the state veterinarian, or his or her designee, who shall serve as the chairperson and six (6) public members appointed by the director as follows: (1) A representative from the Rhode Island farm b…

The council shall support and work collaboratively with the department as follows: (1) Review and evaluate laws and rules of the state applicable to the care and handling of livestock as defined in subdivision 4-26-3(6) including, but not limited to: (i) The overall health and we…

(a) The council shall provide a report of its recommendations and findings. Said report shall be provided to the department, governor and general assembly by April 30, 2013. (b) Thereafter, the council shall provide a written report to the governor and the general assembly, no la…

This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Research Animal Retirement Act.”

(a) A higher education research facility that receives public money, including tax-exempt status, or a facility that provides research in collaboration with a higher education facility shall, after the completion of any testing or research involving a dog or cat, assess the healt…

(a) The director of the department of environmental management may require that any fee owed to the department, pursuant to any chapter of title 4, be paid electronically. (b) In addition to specific fees owed to the department of environmental management, pursuant to any chapter…

The director of the department of environmental management may require that any application or report required to be submitted to the department, pursuant to title 4, may be submitted electronically.

As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) “CEM” means contagious equine metritis. (b) “Director” means the director of the department of environmental management. (c) “Department” means the department of environmental management. (d) “Equine” m…

Any person who wishes to establish a quarantine facility in this state for any equine imported from a CEM affected country shall have the proposed facility inspected and approved by the department. A representative of the department shall, upon request, make an initial visit to t…

The director may adopt regulations to carry out the intent of this chapter, which may include, without limitation, provisions relating to quarantine facilities, staff and procedures, laboratory and testing procedures, and the handling of equines, equipment and waste material hand…

The director may, by regulation, provide for the payment of fees to reimburse the state for the hourly expense of the state veterinarian or agent and his or her travel and administrative expense, incurred in carrying out the responsibilities provided for by the chapter and any ap…

Any person found guilty of violating any provision of this chapter or any regulation adopted hereunder shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and may be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each violation.

As used in this chapter: (1) “Director” means the director of health of the state and also his or her agents and servants authorized by law or by lawful direction of the director to perform any act or to do any thing under the terms of any particular provision of this title or ch…

Any person violating this chapter, shall for the first offense be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100), and for any subsequent offense not more than five hundred dollars ($500) or imprisonment for not more than three (3) months or be punished by both the…

The general assembly shall annually appropriate any sums that it deems necessary for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this chapter. The state controller is authorized and directed to draw his or her orders upon the general treasurer for the payment of these sums or s…

The director of health shall enforce this chapter and chapter 2 of title 21 and shall make any reasonable rules and regulations that he or she may deem necessary which are not inconsistent with the provisions of those chapters for the purpose of effectuating those provisions.

The director has power, authority, and responsibility, in addition to those possessed under the provisions of chapter 2 of title 21 to enforce all requirements of that chapter that producers have permits issued by the director of health.

The director shall keep a file of the names and addresses and of any additional information as he or she may require, as to all of those holding producer’s permits.

The director has authority in case of a discovery of violation of the provisions of chapters 4 — 7 of this title, specially to treat so as to prominently identify, by the use of vegetable coloring matter, any and all milk found by him or her produced under conditions constituting…

All dairy farms of any permittee are open to inspection by the director and his or her authorized agents at all reasonable times.

Whenever the director is satisfied that the farm of a Rhode Island producer or of an out-of-state producer is in violation of the terms and conditions of or the standards required under this chapter and chapter 2 of title 21, he or she may order that producer to discontinue the s…

The director has power reasonably to require from any producer holding a permit any information concerning that producer and/or his or her herds and animals as he or she may require.

No person shall produce for sale, sell or offer for sale, possess for sale, or distribute any milk produced in violation of this chapter or chapter 2 of title 21.

The director shall employ any agents as required in enforcing the provisions of this chapter and may prescribe their duties.

As used in this chapter: (1) “Animal rescue” means an entity, without a physical brick-and-mortar facility, that is owned, operated, or maintained by a duly incorporated humane society, animal welfare society, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or other nonprofit o…

(a) An owner of an animal may donate a drug that is dispensed for the animal, but will not be used by that animal, to a licensed veterinarian or a facility in which veterinary medicine is practiced if the licensed veterinarian or facility chooses to accept the drug. (b) Except as…

Drugs that will not be eligible for reissuance include: (1) Drugs classified as a controlled substance; (2) Drugs that require refrigeration unless it is a drug that only requires refrigeration after being opened and the drug is donated in an unopened condition; and (3) Drugs whe…

(a) Any reissued medication shall have the name of the animal and the name of the owner of the animal for which the drug was originally dispensed, the prescription number, and any other identifying marks obliterated from the packaging or bottle before the reissuance of the drug. …