Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 250 - Department of Environmental Management › Chapter 40 - Agriculture and Resource Marketing › Subchapter 05 - Animal Health › Part 1 - Rules and Regulations Governing the Importation of Domestic Animals › Section 250-RICR-40-05-1.6 - General Requirements and General Exemptions

Current through June 14, 2024
A. No
				  person shall import, or cause to be imported into the state, any domestic
				  animal, including but not limited to goats, cattle, swine, sheep, equines,
				  camelids, dogs, cats, poultry, or ratites unless such animal(s) is accompanied
				  by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and Import Permit pursuant to R.I.
				  Gen. Laws Chapter 4-5, or an Owner Shipper Statement as these regulations
				  require.
B. No person shall import,
				  or cause to be imported into the state, any animal(s) or bird(s) which
				  originates from any state or region that is under any state or federal
				  quarantine that has been issued due to the presence or suspected presence of a
				  contagious disease unless approved, in writing, by the Rhode Island State
				  Veterinarian.
C. No person shall
				  import, or cause to be imported into the state, any animal(s) or bird(s) that
				  is affected with or has been exposed to any contagious disease unless approved,
				  in writing, by the Rhode Island State Veterinarian.
D. Any person required to keep records
				  pursuant to these regulations and who receives a records request from any agent
				  duly authorized in this document to request records, must produce those records
				  within twenty-four (24) hours of the request being made. Such request may be
				  made by phone, facsimile, email, text message, or other generally used means of
				  communications.
E. Official
				  identification of each animal as required by state and federal animal
				  identification laws and regulations to include, but not be limited to, any
				  required permanent and unique identification such as official ear tags, brands,
				  bands, registration tattoos when accompanied by breed registration papers,
				  microchips, or other forms of identification as accepted by the
				  Department.
F. Exemptions from
				  permits and specific requirements for individual species may be provided for
				  the purpose of fair, show, and exhibition as deemed appropriate by the Rhode
				  Island State Veterinarian. The exemptions for fair, show, and exhibition can be
				  found in §
										1.22 of this Part.
G. Exemptions from individual animal
				  identification and the requirement for a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection
				  will be made for hatching eggs and day-old chicks shipped from NPIP enrolled
				  flocks that are certified pullorum free.
H. Exemptions from certain pre-importation
				  testing requirements may be made on a case-by-case basis. Anyone seeking relief
				  from pre-importation testing requirements must receive prior written approval
				  from the Rhode Island State Veterinarian. The Rhode Island State Veterinarian
				  reserves the right to require in lieu of pre-importation testing requirements
				  any post importation testing, quarantine, and/or examinations that he/she feels
				  is as protective as the pre-importation testing. The cost of such testing,
				  quarantine, and examination is the financial responsibility of the entity that
				  owns/receives the animals that were imported. Any damages that result from the
				  failure to properly test or quarantine said animals are the financial liability
				  of the entity that owns/receives the animals.