Rhode Island § 4-13-15 - Dogs

§ 4-13-15. Collaring of dogs — Impoundment and disposition of uncollared dogs.

(a) Every owner or keeper of a dog shall cause the dog to wear a collar around its neck distinctly marked with its owner’s or keeper’s name and with its registered number. Any person may cause any dog not so collared to be impounded in the public pound of the town or city where the dog is found; and if the dog is not claimed by its owner or keeper within a period of five (5) days after the impoundment, the dog may be disposed of or destroyed. The five (5) days shall not include any day or part of a day that the public pound is not open for a specified period of time, not to be less than one-half (½) the normal hours of business, for the purpose of reclaiming any impounded dog by its rightful owner. All periods of time shall be listed in a prominent location at the entrance to all public pounds. The owner or keeper of any dog so impounded shall not take the dog out of the pound until he or she has first paid to the poundkeeper the expense of keeping the dog, that expense not to exceed two dollars ($2.00) per day and to be determined by the city or town council in which impoundment occurs. The town council of the town of Glocester may, by ordinance, determine an expense not to exceed ten dollars ($10.00) for each of the first five (5) days during which this impoundment occurs plus five dollars ($5.00) every day the animal is detained, plus an additional ten dollars ($10.00) if the owner or keeper is unable to show that the dog has a current rabies shot pursuant to § 4-13-31, and further, the dog shall not be released from the pound until all the provisions of this chapter and the ordinances of the city or town are complied with. The provisions of this section relating to the five-day (5) waiting period shall not be deemed to apply to any dog which, when impounded, was injured or maimed, and after the dog has been examined by a licensed veterinarian who shall confirm, in writing, that the dog be destroyed for humanitarian purposes.

The town of West Warwick may provide by ordinance an impounding fee of five dollars ($5.00) per day and may provide by ordinance for a fee for the purposes of transferring ownership or for the disposition of said animals according to law for each adult dog (six (6) months or older) the sum of twenty dollars ($20.00) and for each puppy the sum of five dollars ($5.00) and for each adult cat (six (6) months or older) the sum of ten dollars ($10.00).

(b) Any person violating the provisions of this section is subject to the penalty provisions of § 4-1-2.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), the town council of the town of Exeter may impose an initial impoundment fee of up to fifteen dollars ($15.00) plus two dollars ($2.00) per day for each day of impoundment.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), the city council of the city of East Providence is authorized to enact an ordinance imposing an initial impoundment fee of up to twenty dollars ($20.00) plus five dollars ($5.00) per day for each day of impoundment.

(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), the town council of the town of Richmond is authorized to enact an ordinance providing for an impoundment fee of not more than twenty dollars ($20.00) per day for any impounded animal, and requiring payment of the fee before an impounded animal may be released to its owner.

(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the Foster town council is authorized to enact an ordinance providing for an impoundment fee of not more than fifteen dollars ($15.00) per day for any impounded animal, and requiring payment of the fee before an impounded animal may be released to its owner.

(g) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the Hopkinton town council is authorized to enact an ordinance providing for an impoundment fee of not more than twenty dollars ($20.00) per day for any impounded animal, and requiring payment of the fee before an impounded animal may be released to its owner.