R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-25-1
This is the official text of R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-25-1, part of Rhode Island’s Gen. Laws — part of the compiled statutory law of Rhode Island, published by the state as "Gen. Laws." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 4-25-1. Definitions.
Official statutory text
As used in this chapter:
(1) Clinically ill means an illness that is apparent to a licensed veterinarian based on observation, examination, or testing of the dog.
(2) Nonelective surgical procedure means a surgical procedure that is necessary to preserve or restore the health of an animal or to correct a condition that would interfere with the animals ability to walk, run, jump or otherwise function in a normal manner.
(3) Purchaser means any person purchasing a dog from a seller, as defined in this section.
(4) Seller means any person, business or other entity engaging in the sale of dogs, except that this definition does not encompass the sale of dogs on the premises of and by a public shelter, pound or other entity operating as a nonprofit organization pursuant to Rhode Island law. Persons selling fewer than twenty (20) dogs or three (3) litters, whichever is greater, in a single calendar year shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter.
(1) Clinically ill means an illness that is apparent to a licensed veterinarian based on observation, examination, or testing of the dog.
(2) Nonelective surgical procedure means a surgical procedure that is necessary to preserve or restore the health of an animal or to correct a condition that would interfere with the animals ability to walk, run, jump or otherwise function in a normal manner.
(3) Purchaser means any person purchasing a dog from a seller, as defined in this section.
(4) Seller means any person, business or other entity engaging in the sale of dogs, except that this definition does not encompass the sale of dogs on the premises of and by a public shelter, pound or other entity operating as a nonprofit organization pursuant to Rhode Island law. Persons selling fewer than twenty (20) dogs or three (3) litters, whichever is greater, in a single calendar year shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Rhode Island?
Find a Rhode Island lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.