§ 4-13-20 - Appraisal of damages done by dogs.
SECTION 4-13-20
§ 4-13-20 Appraisal of damages done bydogs. – Each town or city council, excepting the town and city councils in the citiesof Newport and Pawtucket and in the towns of Jamestown, Little Compton, NewShoreham, Tiverton, Exeter, and Burrillville shall annually in the month ofApril appoint one or more suitable persons as appraisers, who shall be sworn tothe faithful discharge of their duties, to appraise the damage that may be doneto any owner of any sheep, goats or lambs, cattle or horses, hogs or fowls,closely confined game birds, or closely confined rabbits suffering loss byreason of the biting, maiming, or killing by any dog or dogs, and to give astatement in writing to the owner suffering the loss; and the owner, sufferingloss, shall, within two (2) days after the loss comes to his or her knowledge,notify the appraiser, appointed and sworn, living nearest to him or her in thecity or town where the damage occurred, of the loss; and the appraiser shall,on receipt of twenty-five cents (25¢) for each mile's travel (or, in thetowns of Middletown and Portsmouth, twenty cents (20¢) for each mile'stravel) and the sum of one dollar ($1.00) from the owner, appraise the damageand give a statement in writing, with his or her lawful fees taxed thereon, tothe owner; and the owner shall, within sixty (60) days, present the statementto the city or town council of the city or town, who shall draw an order on thecity or town treasurer for the amount of the appraisal and fees, or for anyother amount as the council, in the council's discretion, after carefulexamination, shall deem just; and the order, when presented to the city or towntreasurer, shall be paid in the same manner as any other order made by the cityor town council upon the city or town treasurer.