§ 4-1-2. Overwork, mistreatment, or failure to feed animals — Shelter defined.
(a) Whoever overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, overworks, tortures, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance, cruelly beats, mutilates, or cruelly kills, or causes or procures to be so overdriven, overloaded, driven when overloaded, overworked, tortured, tormented, deprived of necessary sustenance, cruelly beaten, or mutilated, any animal, and whoever, having the charge or custody of any animal, either as owner or otherwise, inflicts cruelty upon that animal, or willfully fails to provide that animal with proper food, drink, shelter, or protection from the weather, shall, for each offense, be imprisoned not exceeding eleven (11) months, or be fined not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor exceeding five hundred dollars ($500), or both. If the offense described in this section results in the death of the animal, the person shall be punished in the manner provided in § 4-1-5.
(b) Any person who has been previously convicted of an offense provided for in chapter 1 of title 4 shall, upon conviction of a second or subsequent violation within a ten-year (10) period, be imprisoned for a period not exceeding six (6) years, or fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500) and not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both. In addition, every person convicted under chapter 1 of title 4 of a second or subsequent offense shall be required to serve one hundred (100) hours of community restitution. The community restitution penalty shall not be suspended or deferred and is mandatory.
(c) Every owner, possessor, or person having charge of any animal may, upon conviction of a violation of this section, be ordered to forfeit all rights to ownership of the animal to the animal-control officer of the city or town in which the offense occurred or to a humane society that owns and operates the shelter that provided the subject animal shelter subsequent to any confiscation of that animal pursuant to this section.
(d) Shelter means a structure used to house any animal that will provide sufficient protection from inclement elements for the health and well being of the animal.
History of Section.G.L. 1896, ch. 114, § 1; P.L. 1898, ch. 548, § 1; G.L. 1909, ch. 138, § 1; G.L. 1923, ch. 141, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 640, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 4-1-2; P.L. 1981, ch. 298, § 1; P.L. 1984, ch. 351, § 2; P.L. 1994, ch. 307, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 455, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 458, § 1; P.L. 2018, ch. 177, § 1; P.L. 2018, ch. 200, § 1.
Structure Rhode Island General Laws
Title 4 - Animals and Animal Husbandry
Chapter 4-1 - Cruelty to Animals
Section 4-1-1. - Definitions — Responsibility for agents and employees.
Section 4-1-2. - Overwork, mistreatment, or failure to feed animals — Shelter defined.
Section 4-1-3. - Unnecessary cruelty.
Section 4-1-3.1. - Prohibited practices in destruction of animals.
Section 4-1-3.2. - Animal confinement in motor vehicles prohibited.
Section 4-1-4. - Abandonment of infirm animals.
Section 4-1-5. - Malicious injury to or killing of animals.
Section 4-1-6. - Shearing of horses in winter.
Section 4-1-6.1. - Operating upon tails of bovines prohibited.
Section 4-1-7. - Live poultry containers.
Section 4-1-8. - Sale of chicks and ducklings — Dyeing prohibited.
Section 4-1-9. - Animal fighting.
Section 4-1-10. - Possession or training of fighting animals.
Section 4-1-11. - Attendance at bird or animal fight.
Section 4-1-13. - Forfeiture of fighting birds or animals.
Section 4-1-14. - Appeal of sentence of forfeiture.
Section 4-1-15. - Expense of care of seized birds or animals.
Section 4-1-16. - Use of birds as targets.
Section 4-1-17. - Unloading of animals in transit for rest, water, and feeding.
Section 4-1-18. - Arrest of violators without warrant — Care of animals.
Section 4-1-19. - Issuance of search warrants.
Section 4-1-21. - Powers of agents of society for prevention of cruelty to animals.
Section 4-1-22. - Care of neglected animals by society — Forfeiture of owner’s rights — Expenses.
Section 4-1-23. - Destruction of infirm animals by society.
Section 4-1-24. - Jurisdiction of offenses — Appeals.
Section 4-1-25. - Appropriations for prevention of cruelty — Payments to society.
Section 4-1-26. - Abandonment of animals.
Section 4-1-26.1. - Reports of abandoned, neglected or abused animals.
Section 4-1-27. - Auction of lost or abandoned animals and poultry.
Section 4-1-28. - Greasy pig contests prohibited.
Section 4-1-29. - Release of caged animals in park or zoo.
Section 4-1-30.1. - Cruelty to public safety — Dogs and horses.
Section 4-1-31. - Assignment of state veterinarian.
Section 4-1-33. - Persons using animals for research — Registration.
Section 4-1-34. - Destruction of racing greyhounds.
Section 4-1-34.1. - Restriction on sale of greyhounds.
Section 4-1-34.2. - Autopsies and medical treatment permitted.
Section 4-1-34.3. - Violations — Penalties.
Section 4-1-35. - Community restitution.
Section 4-1-36. - Psychiatric counseling.
Section 4-1-37. - Immunity from suit.
Section 4-1-38. - Use of the terms owner or guardian.
Section 4-1-39. - Transport and shelter of horses.
Section 4-1-40. - Possession of animals.
Section 4-1-41. - Devocalization or declawing as requirement for property occupancy prohibited.
Section 4-1-42. - Care of neglected animals by department — Forfeiture of owner’s rights — Expenses.
Section 4-1-43. - Use of bullhooks or similar devices on elephants prohibited.