Rhode Island § 4-1-41 - Cruelty to Animals

§ 4-1-41. Devocalization or declawing as requirement for property occupancy prohibited.

(a) No person or corporation that occupies, owns, manages, or provides services in connection with any real property, including the individual’s or corporation’s agents or successors-in-interest, may do any of the following if the person or corporation allows an animal on the subject premises:

(1) Advertise, through any means, the availability of real property for occupancy in a manner designed to discourage application for occupancy of that real property because the applicant’s animal has not been declawed or devocalized;

(2) Refuse to allow the occupancy of any real property, refuse to negotiate the occupancy of any real estate property, or to otherwise make unavailable or deny to any other person the occupancy of any real property because of that person’s refusal to declaw or devocalize any animal; or

(3) Require any tenant or occupant of real property to declaw or devocalize any animal allowed on the premises.

(b) Any person found in violation of this section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000). In addition to any other penalty provided by law, a person fined under this section may be barred from owning or possessing any animals, or living on the same property with someone who owns or possesses animals, for a period of time deemed appropriate by the court, and be required to take humane education, pet ownership and dog training classes as ordered by the court.

(c) Nothing contained within this section shall be construed as forbidding a person or corporation that occupies, owns, manages, or provides services in connection with any real property, including the individual’s or corporation’s agents or successors-in-interest, from prohibiting any animal on the premises.