Legislation introduced in January would impose numerous requirements on Rhode Island pet sellers that would essentially make them liable no matter what the health of the dog they sold, according to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington).

While many provisions of House Bill 5177 mirror pet warranty laws in other states, some of them are excessive or vague, the trade association said.

For example, the law would give buyers 20 days after the purchase of a dog to obtain veterinary certification that the animal is suffering from, or has died from, an illness, disease or other defect that existed on or before delivery (excluding intestinal or external parasites). Other state warranty laws typically mandate 10-, 14- or 15-day periods to ensure that symptoms for any pre-existing condition will have presented. Since it is impossible for such conditions not to present within 12 to 14 days, a vet cannot verify a pre-existing condition beyond that period, according to PIJAC.

Also, the requirement to provide remedies for misrepresentation of a breed is ambiguous because there is no standard in the bill for determining what constitutes a specific breed and no objective basis for making that determination, the trade association said. The remedies available to a buyer for misrepresentation also are unclear.