[Amended 6-6-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-5]
A. 
No dogs are allowed in school yards or on school property, whether at large or under restraint; accompanied by its owner, a service dog, so-called, is accepted.
B. 
No dogs are allowed in any stores or eating places within the Town, whether at large or under restraint, unless allowed by the establishment. Service dogs, so-called, are accepted.
C. 
It shall be unlawful to keep more than three dogs at the same residence, except as permitted by the Animal Control Warden and health representative. This provision shall not apply to licensed kennels, or to a litter of puppies under six months of age. Dogs kept on any tract of land devoted to commercial agricultural use or property larger than three acres are exempt from the requirements of this section.
D. 
All complaints made under the provisions of this article shall be made to the Animal Control Warden and may be made orally; provided, however, that such complaint is, within 48 hours, reduced to writing, and signed by the complainant, showing their address and telephone number.
The owner shall keep their dog under restraint at all times and shall not permit such dog to be at large, off the premises or property of the owner, unless such dog is under leash and under control.
A. 
Any dog found running at large shall be taken up by the Animal Control Warden and impounded in the animal shelter, there confined in a humane manner for a period of not less than seven days, and will thereafter be disposed of in a humane manner if not claimed by its owner. Dogs not claimed by owners before the expiration of seven days may be disposed of at the discretion of the Animal Control Warden except as hereinafter provided in the cases of certain dogs.
B. 
The Animal Control Warden may transfer title of any dog held at the animal shelter to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or other licensed releasing agency, after the legal seven-day detention period has expired and such dog has not been claimed by its owner.
C. 
When a dog is found running at large, and its ownership is known to the Animal Control Warden, such dog need not be impounded, but such officer may cite the owner of such dog to appear in court to answer to charges of violation of this article.
D. 
Immediately upon impounding a dog, the Animal Control Warden shall make every possible reasonable effort to notify the owner of such dog so impounded, and inform such owner of the conditions whereby custody of such dog may be regained.
E. 
Any animal, other than a dog, found running at large within the Town limits may be impounded or disposed of according to law when such action is required either to protect the animal or to protect the residents of the Town. The provisions of this section apply as well to any animal other than dogs, but to include dogs.
A. 
The owner shall be entitled to regain possession of any impounded dog, except as hereinafter provided in the cases of certain dogs, upon the payment of impoundment fees set forth herein. (Proof of ownership might include a license receipt, affidavits of neighbors, a photograph, etc.)
B. 
Any other animal impounded under the provisions of this article may be reclaimed by the owner upon the payment of impoundment fees set forth herein.
C. 
Any dog or other animal impounded under the provisions of this article and not reclaimed by its owner within seven days may have its title transferred to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or other licensed releasing agency, as provided in § 126-28B above, or placed in the custody of some person deemed to be a responsible and suitable owner, who will agree to comply with the provisions of this article and such other regulations as shall be fixed by the Town or be humanely euthanized by the Animal Control Warden; provided, however, that if the animal is one as to which the respective rights of the owner and the person in possession or custody are determined by state law, such law shall be complied with.
Any animal impounded hereunder may be reclaimed as herein provided upon payment by the owner to the Animal Control Warden or Animal Control Officer on duty of the sum of $50 and the additional sum of $5 for each full day such animal has been kept in the animal shelter. Impoundment fees set forth and such additional sums as herein provided for keeping animals shall be collected by the Animal Control Warden or Animal Control Officer on duty and turned over to the Town of North Providence Finance Department.
Every owner or keeper of a dog shall annually in the month of April cause that dog to be licensed from the first day of the ensuing May in the office of the Town Clerk or the Town animal Shelter; and shall pay to the Town Clerk or Animal Control Officer for a license so issued $5, and all licenses issued under this provision shall be valid during the then-current year; provided that any person who shall become the owner or keeper of a pet shall cause the same to be licensed as aforesaid within 30 days after he or she becomes the owner or keeper; provided, further, that no license shall be issued under this section unless the pet has been inoculated against rabies for the period during which said license would be valid.
In addition to the fee otherwise required by law for the issuance of a dog license, there shall be an additional charge of $3 for each such license. Said $3 fee shall be retained by the Town Treasurer in a separate account which shall be expended at the direction of the Town Council for the enforcement of laws pertaining to animals. The Town is required to collect a $1 surcharge on each dog license issued by the municipality. The revenue generated by this surcharge shall be deposited in the Town's spay/neuter account to fund low-cost spay/neuter programs.
[Amended 10-7-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-12]
A. 
Any person having custody, ownership or control of an aggressive dog as defined in this article must register said dog with the Town on a form provided by the Town.
B. 
Said form shall require the following information:
(1) 
Name, address and telephone number of the dog's owner;
(2) 
The address where said dog is harbored, if different from the owner's address; and
(3) 
The dog's sex, color, rabies certificate, tag number and other distinguishing characteristics of the dog.
(4) 
The Town shall affix a two-letter prefix to the identification number in order to identify the particular dog as being deemed aggressive by the Animal Control Warden.
C. 
No such dog shall be licensed for any licensing period unless the owner or keeper of such shall meet the requirements set forth by the Animal Control Officer and the restrictions pursuant to R.I.G.L. § 4-13-1.
D. 
Violations of any restrictions of this § 126-34 will require a mandatory appearance before the Smithfield Municipal Court and shall subject the owner or keeper to a fine of $200 for a first offense, $300 for a second offense, and $400 for any subsequent offense in addition to court costs.
[Amended 10-7-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-12]
A. 
It shall be a violation of this section for an owner or keeper to:
(1) 
Keep any dog on a permanent tether that restricts movement of the tethered dog to an area less than 113 square feet, or less than a six-foot radius at ground level.
(2) 
Tether a dog with a choke-type collar, head collar, or prong-type collar. The weight of any chain or tether shall not exceed 1/8 of the dog's total body weight.
(3) 
Keep any dog tethered for more than eight hours during a 24-hour period or keep any dog confined in an area or primary enclosure for more than 14 hours during any 24-hour period, and more than eight hours during a 24-hour period, if the area is not greater than that which is required under the most recently adopted version of the Department of Environmental Management's rules and regulations governing animal care facilities.
(4) 
Tether a dog anytime from the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., except for a maximum of 15 minutes.
(5) 
Keep any dog outside, either tethered or otherwise confined, when the ambient temperature is beyond the industry standard for the weather safety scale as set forth in the most recent adopted version of the Tufts Animal Care and Condition* (TACC) weather safety scale.
(6) 
No person shall allow a dog to be kept outside tethered, penned, caged, fenced, or otherwise confined for more than 30 minutes without access to adequate shelter or adequate water for use by such dog.
B. 
It shall be a violation of this section for an owner or keeper to fail to provide a dog with adequate food, adequate water, or minimum veterinary care, as those terms are defined in § 126-1.
C. 
Exposing any dog to adverse weather conditions strictly for the purpose of conditioning shall be prohibited.
D. 
The provisions of this section, as they relate to the duration and time frame of tethering or confinement, shall not apply:
(1) 
If the tethering or confinement is authorized for medical reasons in writing by a veterinarian licensed in Rhode Island, the authorization is renewed annually, and shelter is provided;
(2) 
If tethering or confinement is authorized in writing by an Animal Control Officer, or duly sworn police officer assigned to the Animal Control Division, for the purposes, including, but not limited to, hunting dogs, dogs protecting livestock, and sled dogs. Written authorization must be renewed annually. The written authorization issued by an Animal Control Officer or duly sworn police officer assigned to the Animal Control Division in the political subdivision of the state where the dogs are kept shall be considered valid in every other political subdivision of the state. The written authorization issued by an Animal Control Officer or duly sworn police officer assigned to the animal control division in the political subdivision of the state where the dogs are kept is revocable by that Animal Control Officer or police officer if there are any conditions present that warrant revocation. The conditions include, but are not limited to, changes in the number or type of dogs, changes in the facility structure or safety, and changes in the health of the dog;
(3) 
To any entity licensed by the state pursuant to Chapter 19 of Title 4 of the Rhode Island General Laws, or any veterinary facility; or
(4) 
To an exhibitor holding a Class C license under the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. § 2133) that is temporarily in the state, if authorized by the Department of Environmental Management (DEM).
E. 
Any person in violation of this section shall be fined in accordance with § 126-13. Each day of violation shall constitute a separate offense.
F. 
General agents or special agents of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA) are hereby authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter in cooperation with Animal Control Officers and the Department of Environmental Management (DEM).