Title 4, Title 4 and Animal Husbandry

(a) It is declared that vicious dogs have become a serious and widespread threat to the safety and welfare of citizens of the state, in that vicious dogs have in recent years assaulted without provocation and seriously injured numerous individuals, particularly children, and have…

It shall be the duty of each city or town to conduct a licensing drive annually after September 1, 1985 in order to ensure compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

(a) In the event that the dog officer or law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that a dog is vicious, the chief dog officer, or his or her immediate supervisor, or the chief of police, or his or her designee, is empowered to convene a hearing for the purpose of de…

The attorney general shall establish a uniform summons or citation to be used by state and municipal law enforcement agencies in the enforcement of this chapter. Fines of one hundred dollars ($100) or less may be paid by mail. All other fines or penalties shall require a court ap…

In the event that the owner or keeper of the vicious dog is a minor, the parent or guardian of that minor is liable for all injuries and property damage sustained by any person or domestic animal caused by an unprovoked attack by that vicious dog.

If any provision of this chapter, or the application of this chapter to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the chapter and the application of those provisions to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected by that invalidity.

Wherever the word “owner” shall appear in this chapter it shall also mean and may be interchanged with the word “guardian” as defined in § 4-13.1-2.

No city or town may enact any rule, regulation or ordinance specific to any breed of dog or cat in the exercise of its power to further control and regulate dogs, cats or other animals as authorized by this chapter.

As used in §§ 4-13.1-1 — 4-13.1-14, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context indicates another or different meaning or intent: (1) “Dog officer” means any person defined by the provisions of chapter 19 of this title. (2) “Domestic animal…

(a) No dog that has been declared vicious shall be licensed by any city or town for any licensing period commencing after April 1986, unless the owner or keeper of that dog that has been declared vicious meets any or all of the following requirements as may be imposed by the hear…

(a) All dogs that have been declared vicious shall be confined in an enclosure. It is unlawful for any owner or keeper to maintain a dog that has been declared vicious upon any premises which does not have a locked enclosure. (b) It is unlawful for any owner or keeper to allow an…

(a) No person shall own or harbor any dog for the purpose of dog fighting; or train, torment, badger, bait, or use any dog for the purpose of causing or encouraging the dog to unprovoked attacks upon human beings or domestic animals. (b) No person shall possess with intent to sel…

If any dog declared vicious under § 4-13.1-11, when unprovoked, kills or wounds, or assists in killing or wounding, any domestic animal, belonging to or in the possession of any person, or, when unprovoked, attacks, assaults, bites, or otherwise injures any human being or assists…

(a) Sections 4-13.1-3 — 4-13.1-7 shall not apply to kennels licensed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter or chapter 19 of this title. (b) This chapter shall not apply to K-9 or other dogs owned by any police department or any law enforcement officer which are used i…

(a) Any dog declared vicious under § 4-13.1-11: (1) Whose owner or keeper does not secure the liability insurance coverage required in accordance with § 4-13.1-3; (2) Which is not maintained on property with an enclosure; (3) Which is outside of the dwelling of the owner or keepe…