§ 4-13-16.1. Injury to seeing-eye dogs or persons who are visually impaired— Damages.
If any dog kills, wounds, or worries, or assists in killing, wounding, or worrying, any seeing-eye dog certified for use as a guide-dog for a person who is blind or visually impaired, belonging to or in the possession of any person who is blind or visually impaired and under harness or engaged in the act of guiding its owner, or if any dog assaults, bites, or otherwise injures any person who is blind or visually impaired while traveling the highway or out of the enclosure of the owner or keeper of that dog, the owner or keeper of the dog shall be liable to the person who is blind or visually impaired aggrieved for double all damages sustained, to be recovered in a civil action, with costs of suit. If afterwards this damage is done by that dog, the owner or keeper of the dog shall pay to the party aggrieved treble damages, to be recovered in the same manner, and an order shall be made by the court before whom the second recovery is made, for killing the dog. The order shall be executed by the officer charged with the execution of the order and it shall not be necessary, in order to sustain this action, to prove that the owner or keeper of this dog knew that the dog was accustomed to causing these damages.
History of Section.P.L. 1979, ch. 374, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 83, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 130, § 1.
Structure Rhode Island General Laws
Title 4 - Animals and Animal Husbandry
Section 4-13-1. - Regulatory ordinances — Enforcement and penalties.
Section 4-13-1.2. - Definitions.
Section 4-13-1.3. - Rabies control board.
Section 4-13-3. - Prior ordinances preserved.
Section 4-13-4. - Dog licenses — Fees — Penalties.
Section 4-13-4.1. - Notice to new owner of inoculation and licensing requirements.
Section 4-13-5. - License information and record.
Section 4-13-7. - Notice as to time and place of issuing licenses.
Section 4-13-8. - Disposition of license fees.
Section 4-13-9. - Pups exempt from license.
Section 4-13-10. - Thoroughbred dogs exempt — Kennel licenses.
Section 4-13-11. - Annual census of dogs — List of licenses issued.
Section 4-13-13. - Wrongful removal of collar — Theft or destruction of licensed dogs — Poisoning.
Section 4-13-14. - Licensing by police authorities.
Section 4-13-15. - Collaring of dogs — Impoundment and disposition of uncollared dogs.
Section 4-13-15.1. - Ordinances concerning unrestricted and vicious dogs prohibited — Leash laws.
Section 4-13-16.1. - Injury to seeing-eye dogs or persons who are visually impaired— Damages.
Section 4-13-17. - Civil liability of person harboring dog for damages.
Section 4-13-18. - Destruction of dogs in defense of person or livestock.
Section 4-13-19. - Order to confine or kill vicious dog — Subsequent damages.
Section 4-13-20. - Appraisal of damages done by dogs.
Section 4-13-21. - Appraisal and payment of damages in certain Newport county towns.
Section 4-13-22. - Subrogation of town or city to claim for damages.
Section 4-13-23. - Sworn testimony before appraiser.
Section 4-13-24. - Penalty for neglect of duties.
Section 4-13-25. - Election of special constable and appraiser in Pawtucket.
Section 4-13-26 - — 4-13-28. Repealed.
Section 4-13-29. - Quarantine to suppress rabies — Report of cases.
Section 4-13-29.1. - Responsibility for local rabies control.
Section 4-13-29.2. - Exemption from liability.
Section 4-13-29.3. - Regulations for suppression of rabies.
Section 4-13-30. - [Obsolete.]
Section 4-13-31. - Compulsory rabies vaccination.
Section 4-13-32. - Penalty for violation of rabies suppression provisions.
Section 4-13-33. - Agent of society for prevention of cruelty as special constable.
Section 4-13-34. - Correction of defects in prosecutions.
Section 4-13-35. - Immunity of officers from costs.
Section 4-13-38. - Dogs attacking deer.
Section 4-13-40. - Exemptions from application of chapter.
Section 4-13-41. - Use of the terms owner or guardian.
Section 4-13-42. - Care of dogs.
Section 4-13-43. - Prohibition of breed specific regulation.