Rhode Island HB 7257: AN ACT RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- DOG ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES -- FOSTER (Authorizes the Foster town council to enact ordinances permitting the dog officer in the town to issue citations for the violation of dog ordinances.)

Bill Text

2020 -- H 7257
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LC003806
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020
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A N A C T
RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- DOG ENFORCEMENT AND
PENALTIES -- FOSTER
Introduced By: Representative Michael W. Chippendale
Date Introduced: January 23, 2020
Referred To: House Municipal Government

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 4-13-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 4-13 entitled "Dogs" is 1
hereby amended to read as follows: 2
4-13-1. Regulatory ordinances -- Enforcement and penalties. 3
(a) City or town councils may make any ordinances concerning dogs in their cities or 4
towns as they deem expedient, to be enforced by the destruction or disposition of the animal, or 5
by pecuniary penalties not exceeding ten dollars ($10.00) for the first offense, not exceeding 6
fifteen dollars ($15.00) for the second offense within a year, not exceeding twenty-five dollars 7
($25.00) for the third and any subsequent offense within a year to be recovered by action of debt, 8
or by complaint and warrant, to use as that city council or town council may prescribe. 9
(b)(1) Barrington town council is authorized to enact an ordinance: 10
(i) Permitting the animal control officer in the town to issue citations to the owners of 11
dogs for violation of any animal control ordinance which may be paid by mail and; 12
(ii) To prescribe pecuniary penalties as follows: 13
(A) A fine of not more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for the first offense within a 14
calendar year; 15
(B) A fine of not more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for the second offense within a calendar 16
year; 17
(C) A fine of not more seventy-five dollars ($75.00) for the third and each subsequent 18

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offense within a calendar year. 1
(2)(i) Bristol town council is authorized to enact an ordinance permitting the dog officer 2
in that town to issue citations to the owners of dogs for the violation of any dog ordinance which 3
may be paid by mail, and to prescribe pecuniary penalties as follows: 4
(A) A fine not exceeding twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for the first offense within a 5
calendar year; 6
(B) A fine not exceeding fifty dollars ($50.00) for the second offense within a calendar 7
year; 8
(C) A fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) for the third and each subsequent 9
offense within a calendar year. 10
(ii) The Bristol town council may by ordinance prescribe the number of licensed dogs and 11
their breeds which may be kept at any single-family residence other than a breeding kennel 12
licensed under § 4-13-10, and may enforce those ordinances by pecuniary penalties not exceeding 13
two hundred fifty dollars ($250). 14
(3) Coventry town council is authorized to enact ordinances permitting the dog officer in 15
the town to issue citations to the owners of dogs for the violation of any dog ordinance which 16
may be paid by mail. 17
(4)(i) Cumberland town council may prescribe pecuniary penalties as follows: 18
(A) A fine not exceeding twenty dollars ($20.00) for the first offense within a calendar 19
year; 20
(B) A fine not exceeding thirty dollars ($30.00) for the second offense within a calendar 21
year; 22
(C) A fine not exceeding fifty dollars ($50.00) for the third and each subsequent offense 23
within a calendar year. 24
(ii) The town council of the town of Cumberland is authorized to enact an ordinance 25
permitting the animal control officer or any police officer in that town to issue citations to the 26
owners of dogs for the violation of any dog ordinance which may be paid by mail. 27
(iii) The town council of the town of Cumberland is authorized to enact an ordinance 28
establishing the expense of the impoundment of dogs as determined by the town council and 29
providing for the payment to the town of the impoundment expense by the dog owner prior to 30
removal of the dog from the pound. 31
(5) Glocester town council is authorized to enact an ordinance to prescribe pecuniary 32
penalties as follows: 33
(i) A fine not more than twenty dollars ($20.00) for the first offense within a calendar 34

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year; 1
(ii) A fine not more than thirty dollars ($30.00) for the second offense within a calendar 2
year; 3
(iii) A fine not more than thirty-five dollars ($35.00) for the third offense and each 4
subsequent offense within a calendar year. 5
(6) Jamestown town council may prescribe pecuniary penalties as follows: 6
(i) A fine not exceeding twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for the first offense within a 7
calendar year; 8
(ii) A fine not exceeding fifty dollars ($50.00) for the second offense within a calendar 9
year; 10
(iii) A fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) for the third and each subsequent 11
offense within a calendar year. 12
(7)(i) Middletown may prescribe pecuniary penalties as follows for the violation of 13
animal control ordinances on any beach within the town of Middletown: 14
(A) A fine n