Senator Dominick J. Ruggerio, a Democrat from Providence, has introduced legislation that will prohibit landlords from requiring pet owners to declaw and devocalize their cats and dogs.
Both procedures require invasive surgery, and, in the case of devocalization, are potentially life-threatening, according to the Coalition to Protect and Rescue of Pets.
If passed, property owners would still retain the right to bar pets from their buildings.
Similar legislation was passed in California last year.
Since World War II, thousands of dogs have served the USA, though their contributions often go unnoticed. Yesterday, the Rhode Island House Veterans’ Affairs Committee considered a bill to set March 13th as a state-wide holiday, “K-9 Veterans’ Day.”
Ron Aiello, President of the United States War Dogs Association, says in the past 10 years, there have been approximately 600 to 700 dog teams in the Middle East at any one time.
State Representative Peter G. Palumbo, a Democrat from Cranston, has introduced legislation that would ban drivers in Rhode Island from operating a vehicle with dogs on their laps. The legislation would allow tickets to be issued at 85 dollars for a first offense, and up to 125 dollars for third and subsequent offenses.
Palumbo hopes that the legislation will help curb auto accidents that are the result of distracted driving, likening it to texting and driving. The legislation has been referred for to the House Judiciary Committee for review.
