Rhode Island § 4-1-9 § 4-1-9. Animal fighting.

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 4-1-9 — § 4-1-9. Animal fighting.

Rhode Island § 4-1-9

Title 4Animals and Animal Husbandry

Ch. 4-1Cruelty to Animals

This text of Rhode Island § 4-1-9 (§ 4-1-9. Animal fighting.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-1-9 (2026).

Text

§ 4-1-9. Animal fighting.
Any person who causes or encourages the fighting of any bird, dog, or animal with
            any other bird, dog, or animal, or keeps or maintains any place for the fighting of
            birds, dogs, or animals, or who knowingly permits, or suffers, any fight to be had
            on the person's premises or on premises under the person's control, or makes any bet
            or lays any wager of any kind upon the result of that fight, shall be fined not exceeding
            one thousand dollars ($1,000) or be imprisoned not exceeding two (2) years, or both,
            for the first offense, and for a second and any subsequent offense shall be fined
            not less than one thousand d

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§ 4-1-9. Animal fighting.

Any person who causes or encourages the fighting of any bird, dog, or animal with any other bird, dog, or animal, or keeps or maintains any place for the fighting of birds, dogs, or animals, or who knowingly permits, or suffers, any fight to be had on the person's premises or on premises under the person's control, or makes any bet or lays any wager of any kind upon the result of that fight, shall be fined not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000) or be imprisoned not exceeding two (2) years, or both, for the first offense, and for a second and any subsequent offense shall be fined not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or be imprisoned not exceeding five (5) years, or both. In addition, every person convicted of a first offense shall be required to perform twenty (20) hours of community service. Every person convicted of a subsequent offense shall be required to perform fifty (50) hours of community service. The community service penalty shall not be suspended or deferred.

Legislative History

G.L. 1896, ch. 283, § 15; P.L. 1901, ch. 848, § 1; G.L. 1909, ch. 349, § 19; G.L. 1923, ch. 401, § 19; G.L. 1938, ch. 612, § 19; G.L. 1956, § 4-1-9; P.L. 1980, ch. 16, § 1; P.L. 1983, ch. 126, § 1; P.L. 2025, ch. 271, § 1, effective June 27, 2025; P.L. 2025, ch. 274, § 1, effective June 27, 2025.