§ 4-13-38 - Dogs attacking deer. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 4-13-38

   § 4-13-38  Dogs attacking deer. – A person owning, keeping or possessing a dog shall not allow, permit or consentto this dog chasing, hunting, molesting, attacking, or killing a deer. Thedirector of environmental management is authorized to issue an order torestrain all dogs from running at large in any city or town where, in thedirector's opinion, this restraining order is necessary to prevent dogs fromchasing, hunting, molesting, attacking, or killing deer. This order shall be ineffect forty-eight (48) hours after publication in one or more newspaperscirculated in the city or town. When, in the director's opinion, the directordetermines that this restraining order is no longer necessary, the directorshall, by publication, rescind this order. A person owning, keeping, orpossessing a dog shall restrain it from running at large in any city or town inwhich this restraining order is in effect. The chief of the division ofenforcement, the chief's assistants, conservation officers, members of thestate police, members of the local police, in areas over which they havejurisdiction, may issue a citation to the owner of any dog found chasing,hunting, molesting, attacking, or killing a deer, charging the owner with aviolation of this chapter. During any period when this order is not in force,the chief of the division of enforcement, the chief's assistants, conservationofficers and members of the state police and members of the local police andpark police in areas over which they have jurisdiction, may issue a citation tothe owner of any dog found chasing or hunting a deer if the dog is chasing orhunting with the knowledge or consent of the owner. Whenever a dog has beenfound chasing, hunting, molesting, attacking, or killing a deer and the owneror keeper of the dog has been notified by the director, and the same dog isfound chasing, hunting, molesting, attacking, or killing, it shall be primafacie evidence that this chasing, hunting, molesting, attacking, or killing waswith the knowledge or consent of the owner or keeper.