Title 4
Animals and Animal Husbandry

Chapter 13.1
Regulation of Vicious Dogs

§ 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 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) may be placed in the care of the RISPCA pursuant to the provisions of § 4-1-22.

(d) Humane euthanization, conducted in accordance with the provisions of § 4-19-12, of a dog described in subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall occur only if the RISPCA, after an evaluation, has determined that the dog’s medical and/or behavioral condition warrants 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.