Cruelty to Animals
R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-1-2 — up to eleven months or $500 for cruelty, up to six years for a repeat, and no pet left in a hot car
Overworking, torturing, depriving of sustenance, cruelly beating or mutilating an animal, or failing to give it proper food, drink and shelter, is punished by imprisonment not exceeding eleven months, or a fine of $50 to $500, or both.
A second offense within ten years is punished by up to six years, or $500 to $5,000, or both. Cruel abandonment, inadequate living conditions and animal hoarding are punished the same way.
Not in a hot car. No one may leave an animal in a vehicle exposed to extreme heat or cold without ventilation in a way that threatens its life or health. An animal control officer, police officer or firefighter may enter the vehicle to get it out.
A particular situation is a question for animal control or a licensed Rhode Island attorney.
Sources for this section (3)
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-1-2 — Overwork, mistreatment, or failure to feed animals; Shelter defined
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-1-3 — Unnecessary cruelty
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-1-3.2 — Animal confinement in motor vehicles prohibited
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Rhode Island attorney.