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Rhode Island General Laws Title 4. Animals and Animal Husbandry § 4-19-4.1. Sales by pet shops

Current as of January 01, 2024 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) A pet shop shall send the following records to the department of environmental management on or before May 1 and November 1 of every year, documenting the following for each dog or cat offered for sale during the previous six (6) months:

(1) A health certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian that indicates that the dog or cat was examined and in good health seven (7) days after the dog or cat was acquired by the pet shop;

(2) Original source information including:

(i) The name, business name, if applicable, street address, city, and state of the breeder;

(ii) Any applicable federal and state license number for the breeder;

(iii) Any federal and state inspection reports the breeder received in the previous six (6) months, without redactions, unless the reports are unavailable because the breeder had not been inspected by federal or state agencies in the previous six (6) months;

(iv) The total number of dogs and cats on the premises of the breeder at the time the dog or cat offered for sale by the pet shop left the breeder's premises;

(3) Broker or dealer information, if applicable, including:

(i) The name, business name, if applicable, street address, city, and state of the broker or dealer who obtained the dog or cat from the breeder and resold the dog or cat to the pet shop;

(ii) Any applicable federal and state license number for the broker or dealer who sold the dog or cat to the pet shop;

(iii) Any federal and state inspection reports the broker or dealer received in the previous six (6) months, without redactions, unless such reports are unavailable because the broker or dealer has not been inspected by federal or state agencies in the previous six (6) months.

(b) A pet shop shall post on the enclosure of each dog and cat offered for sale:

(1) The breed, age, and date of birth of the dog or cat;

(2) The information required under subsection (a) of this section.

(c) Subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall not apply to any dog or cat obtained from an animal rescue, shelter, or dog pound.

(1) For those dogs or cats obtained from an animal rescue, shelter, or dog pound, a pet shop must post on each enclosure the name and address of the animal rescue, animal shelter, or dog pound, and the organization's federal tax identification number, if applicable.

(d) A pet shop owner or operator who violates any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for a first offense, by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars ($300) for a second offense, and a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500) for a third or subsequent offense. Each failure to report or post in violation of this section shall constitute a separate offense.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Rhode Island General Laws Title 4. Animals and Animal Husbandry § 4-19-4.1. Sales by pet shops - last updated January 01, 2024 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ri/title-4-animals-and-animal-husbandry/ri-gen-laws-sect-4-19-4-1/

FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.

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