| Chapter 238 |
| 2024 -- S 2538 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 06/24/2024 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY-- REGULATION OF VICIOUS DOGS |
Introduced By: Senator Dominick J. Ruggerio |
| Date Introduced: March 01, 2024 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 4-13.1-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 4-13.1 entitled "Regulation |
| of Vicious Dogs" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 4-13.1-5. Harboring dogs for dog fighting — Training dogs to attack humans — |
| Selling, breeding, or buying dogs. |
| (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 sell, or offer for sale, breed, or buy, or attempt to |
| buy, within the state any vicious dog that has previously been declared vicious by the vicious dog |
| panel in accordance with § 4-13.1-11 ("Determination of a vicious dog"). |
| (c) Any dog described in subsection (a) or (b) of this section lawfully seized by a sheriff, |
| deputy sheriff, constable, police officer, agent or officer of the Rhode Island Society for the |
| Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA) shall may be placed in the care of the RISPCA |
| pursuant to the provisions of § 4-1-22 — § 4-1-31. |
| (d) The RISPCA shall utilize a timely process to determine the disposition of the dog and |
| provide for prompt transfer to an appropriate rescue organization or adoptive home with humane |
| Humane euthanization, conducted in accordance with the provisions of § 4-19-12, of a dog |
| described in subsections subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall occur occurring only if the |
| RISPCA, after an evaluation, has determined that the dog’s medical and/or behavioral condition |
| warrants such action euthanasia or it is determined by the sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable, police |
| officer, agent or officer of the RISPCA having possession of the dog, after reasonable time and |
| effort have been expended, that no appropriate placement for the dog exists. |
| (e) A municipality that transfers a dog seized pursuant to this section into the care of the |
| RISPCA shall be responsible for the costs incurred by the RISPCA for the care and treatment of |
| the dog. The cost of the care and treatment billed to the transferring municipality shall be reasonable |
| and related to equivalent services provided by veterinary care and animal sheltering, feeding, and |
| boarding services in the state. Notwithstanding the receipt of payment for care and treatment from |
| a transferring municipality, the RISPCA may proceed pursuant to § 4-1-22(c) to collect the full |
| cost of care and treatment of any dog that is in its care or custody pursuant to this section and any |
| amounts recovered shall be applied first to satisfy any outstanding invoices for services provided |
| that have not previously been paid for with the balance of any amount recovered to be paid to the |
| transferring municipality. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC004543/SUB A |
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