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News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
DEM TO HOLD PUBLIC WORKSHOP IN SOUTH KINGSTOWN ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, TO DISCUSS PROPOSED NEW ANIMAL CARE REGULATIONS PROVIDENCE -The Department of Environmental Management will hold a public workshop in South Kingstown on Wednesday, October 27, to discuss proposed new regulations governing animal care. The workshop will be held at 3 p.m. in the council chambers at the town hall, which is located at 180 High Street. DEM has notified all interested parties, who had previously asked to be kept informed about the proposed regulations, of the upcoming meeting.The proposed new regulations concern the feeding, sheltering, care, and management of animals housed in licensed animal care facilities and controlled adoption organizations. They apply to all pet shops, kennels, dog pounds, animal shelters, animal dealers, aviaries, animal rescue organizations, livestock rescue, and animal care facilities in Rhode Island. The proposed regulations cover a wide variety of animal care issues pertaining to dogs, cats, rabbits, rodents, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and small pets including ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, and chinchillas, as well as livestock and exotic animals. The issues include veterinary care, quarantines, reportable diseases, physical structures and construction guidelines for buildings in which animals are housed, space requirements, cleaning and maintenance of facilities, animal rescue and foster care, biosecurity, and care of animals in public settings such as petting zoos and traveling shows. Based on comments made at four previous workshops, DEM has made several changes to the draft regulations, adding language concerning livestock and wild exotic animals, and clarifying information on rescue and foster care. The Department has also made a small change to proposed regulations concerning so-called "cat rooms," that would allow for cats in shelters to remain unobserved in a communal setting for ten hours at a time, rather than the six hours previously suggested. The revised draft regulations are available on DEM's website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on "Programs", then "Agriculture". They can also be obtained by calling DEM's Division of Agriculture at 222-2781. A public hearing on the proposed regulations will be held at a future date yet to be determined. -30- |
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