§ 4-13-15.1 - Ordinances concerning unrestricted and vicious dogs prohibited – Leash laws.
SECTION 4-13-15.1
§ 4-13-15.1 Ordinances concerningunrestricted and vicious dogs prohibited – Leash laws. – (a) City or town councils may make any ordinances concerning dogs in theircities or towns as the councils deem expedient, pertaining to the conduct ofdogs, which ordinances shall include regulations relating to unrestricted dogs,leash laws, confinement, and destruction of vicious dogs. Those ordinances mayprovide as follows:
(1) Every owner or custodian of a dog shall cause that dognot to run unrestricted anywhere in the city or town. This section does notapply to any person who uses a dog under his or her direct supervision whilelawfully hunting, while engaged in a supervised formal obedience training classor show or during formally sanctioned field trials.
(2) It is unlawful for any owner of a dog to place that dogor allow it to be placed in the custody of any other person not physicallycapable of maintaining effective control of restricting the dog.
(3) The city or town dog officer is empowered to seize andimpound any dog found off the property of its owner or custodian when that dogis unrestricted.
(4) Any person violating the provisions of this section shallbe fined not exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars ($250).
(b) The town council of the town of Westerly is authorized toenact an ordinance permitting the animal control officer in that town to issuecitations to the owner of any dog found off the property of its owner orcustodian and to prescribe a pecuniary penalty not to exceed twenty-fivedollars ($25.00) for each violation.
(c) The town council of the town of Exeter is authorized toenact an ordinance imposing an initial fee of up to fifteen dollars ($15.00)for the impoundment of a dog plus two dollars ($2.00) per day for each day ofimpoundment. The town of Exeter may also, in addition to the fines provided forunder subsection (a)(4) of this section and under any other provision of law,require proof of liability insurance for a twelve (12) month period in theamount of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for third time offenders ofits animal control ordinances. Said insurance policy shall cover injuries anddamages caused by the dog and shall, for purposes of notice, name the town asan additional insured.