§ 4-13.1-3 - Requirements for registration.
SECTION 4-13.1-3
§ 4-13.1-3 Requirements for registration.– (a) No dog that has been declared vicious shall be licensed by any city or townfor any licensing period commencing after April 1986, unless the owner orkeeper of that dog that has been declared vicious meets any or all of thefollowing requirements as may be imposed by the hearing panel:
(1) A panel convened pursuant to § 4-13.1-11 of thischapter and/or a judge of the district court may require the owner or keeper topresent to the city or town clerk or other licensing authority proof that theowner or keeper has procured liability insurance in the amount of at least onehundred thousand dollars ($100,000), covering any damage or injury which may becaused by the vicious dog during the twelve (12) month period for whichlicensing is sought, which policy contains a provision requiring the city ortown to be named as additional insured for the sole purpose of the city or townclerk or other licensing authority where that dog is licensed to be notified bythe insurance company of any cancellation, termination or expiration of theliability insurance policy.
(2) The owner or keeper shall, at his or her own expense,have the licensing number assigned to the vicious dog, or any otheridentification number that the city or town clerk or other licensing authoritydetermines, tattooed upon the vicious dog by a licensed veterinarian or persontrained as a tattooist and authorized a licensed veterinarian or tattooist byany state, city or town police department. The tattoo shall be placed on theupper inner left rear thigh of the vicious dog. The dog officer may, in his orher discretion, designate the particular location of the tattoo. The licensingnumber shall be noted on the city or town licensing files for the vicious dog,if it is different from the license number of the vicious dog. For the purposesof this section, tattoo shall be defined as any permanent numbering of avicious dog by means of indelible or permanent ink with the number designatedby the licensing authority, or any other permanent, acceptable method oftattooing. A microchip may be used in lieu of a tattoo. Each city or town shallaffix a two (2) letter prefix to the identification number in order to identifythe particular city or town where the dog was initially licensed.
(3) The owner or keeper shall display a sign on his or herpremises warning that there is a vicious dog on the premises. The sign shall bevisible and capable of being read from the public highway.
(4) The owner or keeper shall sign a statement attesting that:
(i) The owner or keeper shall maintain and not voluntarilycancel the liability insurance required by this section during the twelve (12)month period for which licensing is sought, unless the owner or keeper ceasesto own or keep the vicious dog prior to expiration of the license.
(ii) The owner or keeper shall have an enclosure for thevicious dog on the property where the vicious dog will be kept or maintained.
(iii) The owner or keeper shall notify the police departmentor the dog officer within two (2) hours if a vicious dog is on the loose, isunconfined, has attacked another animal or has attacked a human being, or hasdied.
(5) When the dog is off the owner's property, it shall be ona leash and/or muzzled.
(6) When the dog is outdoors on the owner's property, it mustbe on a leash and/or muzzled, or tie-out, or in an enclosed area which preventsits escape.
(b) A dog officer is empowered to make whatever inquiry isdeemed necessary to ensure compliance with this chapter, and any dog officer isempowered to seize and impound any vicious dog whose owner or keeper fails tocomply with this chapter.
(c) In the event that the owner or keeper of the dog refusesto surrender the animal to the dog officer, the dog officer may request apolice officer to obtain a search warrant from a justice of the district courtand to seize the dog upon execution of the warrant.
(d) A dog must be spayed or neutered unless a licensedveterinarian states in writing that the procedure would threaten the life ofthe dog.
(e) If an owner or keeper moves, he or she shall notify thedog officer of the city or town in which he/she resides and the dog officer ofthe city or town in which he or she is to reside.
(f) An owner or keeper may leave a dog under the care andcontrol of someone over the age of sixteen (16) years.
(g) It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper to sell orgive away any dog declared vicious.