(a)  Effective January 1, 2019, no municipality shall employ any animal control officer who has not received certification to be an animal control officer from the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA) or other equivalent organization as determined by the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. All new hires will have a period of twelve (12) months from date of hire to receive certification. All existing personnel employed as animal control officers shall obtain their certification by January 1, 2019.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 4-19-22

  • Animal: means any dog or cat, rabbit, rodent, nonhuman primate, bird or other warm-blooded vertebrate, amphibian, fish, or reptile but shall not include horses, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and domestic fowl. See Rhode Island General Laws 4-19-2

(b)  The training and certification program required by subsection (a) of this section shall incorporate instruction that shall meet NACA guidelines for certification, including, but not limited to, the following criteria:

(1)  Laws and regulations affecting animal control, animal welfare, and animal cruelty;

(2)  Domestic and wild animal behavior;

(3)  Handling and treatment of deceased or stray animals; and

(4)  Emergency procedures and conflict resolution skills.

History of Section.
P.L. 2017, ch. 118, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 144, § 1.