Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0550 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- S 0550
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7	7	LC001544
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- DOGS
16	16	Introduced By: Senators Urso, Ciccone, Dimitri, Tikoian, LaMountain, Pearson, Murray,
17	17	DiMario, Sosnowski, Patalano, and Bissaillon
18	18	Date Introduced: February 26, 2025
19	19	Referred To: Senate Judiciary
20	20
21	21
22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Sections 4-13-13, 4-13-39 and 4-13-42 of the General Laws in Chapter 4-13 1
24	24	entitled "Dogs" are hereby amended to read as follows: 2
25	25	4-13-13. Wrongful removal of collar — Theft or destruction of licensed dogs — 3
26	26	Poisoning. 4
27	27	Whoever wrongfully removes the collar from the neck of a dog licensed and collared 5
28	28	according to the provisions of this chapter, or steals a dog licensed or collared, or kills, maims, 6
29	29	entices, carries away, or detains a licensed dog, or distributes or exposes a poisonous substance, 7
30	30	with the intent that the poisonous substance shall be eaten by a licensed dog, shall be punished by 8
31	31	a fine of not less than ten dollars ($10.00) one hundred dollars ($100), nor more than one hundred 9
32	32	dollars ($100) one thousand dollars ($1,000) or be imprisoned not exceeding thirty (30) days, or 10
33	33	both, and shall be liable to the dog’s owner for damages in a civil action. For a second or subsequent 11
34	34	violation the fine shall be a minimum of one thousand dollars ($1,000) and not more than five 12
35	35	thousand dollars ($5,000). 13
36	36	4-13-39. Penalties. 14
37	37	Except where otherwise specified that a violation shall result in a greater penalty Any any 15
38	38	person convicted of a violation of this chapter shall be fined fifty dollars ($50) for a first offense 16
39	39	and one hundred dollars ($100) for a second and subsequent offense. 17
40	40	4-13-42. Care of dogs. 18
41	41	(a) It shall be a violation of this section for an owner or keeper to: 19
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45	45	(1) Keep any dog on a permanent tether that restricts movement of the tethered dog to an 1
46	46	area less than one hundred thirteen square feet (113 sq. ft.), or less than a six foot (6′) radius at 2
47	47	ground level. 3
48	48	(2) Tether a dog with a choke-type collar, head collar, or prong-type collar. The weight of 4
49	49	any chain or tether shall not exceed one-eighth (⅛) of the dog’s total body weight. 5
50	50	(3) Keep any dog tethered for more than ten (10) hours during a twenty-four-hour (24) 6
51	51	period or keep any dog confined in an area or primary enclosure for more than fourteen (14) hours 7
52	52	during any twenty-four-hour (24) period, and more than ten (10) hours during a twenty-four-hour 8
53	53	(24) period, if the area is not greater than that which is required under the most recently adopted 9
54	54	version of the department of environmental management’s rules and regulations governing animal 10
55	55	care facilities. 11
56	56	(4) Tether a dog anytime from the hours of ten o’clock p.m. (10:00 p.m.) to six o’clock 12
57	57	a.m. (6:00 a.m.), except for a maximum of fifteen (15) minutes. 13
58	58	(5) Keep any dog outside, either tethered or otherwise confined, when the ambient 14
59	59	temperature is beyond the industry standard for the weather safety scale as set forth in the most 15
60	60	recent adopted version of the Tufts Animal Care and Condition Weather Safety Scale (TACC). 16
61	61	(c) (6) Intentionally overfeed a dog by a dog breeder for aesthetic reasons or to influence 17
62	62	the physical appearance of a dog to the detriment of the health and mobility of the dog. 18
63	63	(b) It shall be a violation of this section for an owner or keeper to fail to provide a dog with 19
64	64	adequate feed, adequate water, or adequate veterinary care as those terms are defined in § 4-19-2; 20
65	65	provided however, that adequate veterinary care may be provided by an owner using acceptable 21
66	66	animal husbandry practices. 22
67	67	(c) Exposing any dog to adverse weather conditions strictly for the purpose of conditioning 23
68	68	shall be prohibited. 24
69	69	(d) The provisions of this section, as they relate to the duration and timeframe of tethering 25
70	70	or confinement, shall not apply: 26
71	71	(1) If the tethering or confinement is authorized for medical reasons in writing by a 27
72	72	veterinarian licensed in Rhode Island, the authorization is renewed annually, and shelter is 28
73	73	provided; 29
74	74	(2) If tethering or confinement is authorized in writing by an animal control officer, or duly 30
75	75	sworn police officer assigned to the animal control division, for the purposes of, including, but not 31
76	76	limited to, hunting dogs, dogs protecting livestock, and sled dogs. Written authorization must be 32
77	77	renewed annually. The written authorization issued by an animal control officer or duly sworn 33
78	78	police officer assigned to the animal control division in the political subdivision of the state where 34
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82	82	the dogs are kept shall be considered valid in every other political subdivision of the state. The 1
83	83	written authorization issued by an animal control officer or duly sworn police officer assigned to 2
84	84	the animal control division in the political subdivision of the state where the dogs are kept is 3
85	85	revocable by that animal control officer or police officer if there are any conditions present that 4
86	86	warrant revocation. The conditions include, but are not limited to, changes in the number or type 5
87	87	of dogs, changes in the facility structure or safety, and changes in the health of the dog; 6
88	88	(3) To any entity licensed by the state pursuant to chapter 19 of title 4, or any veterinary 7
89	89	facility; or 8
90	90	(4) [Deleted by P.L. 2018, ch. 118, § 1 and P.L. 2018, ch. 198, § 1.] 9
91	91	(5) [Deleted by P.L. 2018, ch. 118, § 1 and P.L. 2018, ch. 198, § 1.] 10
92	92	(6) To an exhibitor holding a class C license under the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. § 11
93	93	2133) that are temporarily in the state, if authorized by the department of environmental 12
94	94	management (DEM). 13
95	95	(7) [Deleted by P.L. 2018, ch. 118, § 1 and P.L. 2018, ch. 198, § 1.] 14
96	96	(e) Any person in violation of this section shall be imprisoned not exceeding eleven (11) 15
97	97	months, or fined not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor exceeding one thousand dollars 16
98	98	($1,000), or both. Each day of violation shall constitute a separate offense. For a second or 17
99	99	subsequent violation the fine shall be not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000), nor more than 18
100	100	ten thousand dollars ($10,000) and up to two (2) years imprisonment. 19
101	101	(f) General agents or special agents of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of 20
102	102	Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA) are hereby authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter in 21
103	103	cooperation with animal control officers and the department of environmental management (DEM). 22
104	104	SECTION 2. Chapter 4-13 of the General Laws entitled "Dogs" is hereby amended by 23
105	105	adding thereto the following section: 24
106	106	4-13-42.1. Animal care task force. 25
107	107	(a) There is hereby created and established an advisory animal care task force that includes 26
108	108	animal control officers and/or representatives of the twenty-eight (28) animal shelters in Rhode 27
109	109	Island to identify areas of improvement in the care of animals in the state, and to review local 28
110	110	ordinances and state statutes to identify weaknesses, conflicts in the laws and provide 29
111	111	recommendations for legislation to improve care for animals statewide. 30
112	112	(b) Appointments to the task force shall be done by the mayor or town administrator where 31
113	113	the shelter is located. 32
114	114	(c) The initial meeting of the task force shall be at the call of the governor. Subsequent 33
115	115	meetings shall occur at the call of the chairperson. 34
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119	119	(d) The department of administration shall provide adequate facilities for the task force to 1
120	120	meet. Administrative support shall also be provided. 2
121	121	(e) The chairperson of the task force shall be duly elected by the members. A vote shall 3
122	122	also take place to choose a vice chairperson. 4
123	123	(f) Meetings of the task force shall take place on a quarterly basis. An agenda shall be 5
124	124	provided by the chairperson prior to each meeting identifying strategic issues or decisions the task 6
125	125	force needs to provide input on. 7
126	126	(g) Reports of the task force shall be provided to the governor, the speaker and president 8
127	127	of the senate on January 1 annually with appropriate recommendations to improve animal care in 9
128	128	the state. 10
129	129	(h) The provisions of this section shall sunset and expire on January 1, 2027, unless 11
130	130	extended by the general assembly. 12
131	131	SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 13
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138	138	EXPLANATION
139	139	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
140	140	OF
141	141	A N A C T
142	142	RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMA L HUSBANDRY -- DOGS
143	143	***
144	144	This act would increase penalties from one thousand dollars ($1,000) to five thousand 1
145	145	dollars ($5,000) for malicious injury to or killing of animals. It would also prohibit the intentional 2
146	146	overfeeding of dogs for aesthetic reasons and increase penalties for violations. An advisory animal 3
147	147	care task force would also be created to identify areas of improvement for care of animals. 4
148	148	This act would take effect upon passage. 5
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150	150	LC001544
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