(a)  No veterinarian licensed under the provisions of this chapter or members of the same profession duly licensed to practice in other states of the United States, who voluntarily and gratuitously and other than in the course of his or her employment or practice renders emergency veterinary assistance to an animal in need of assistance, is liable for civil damages for any injuries that result from acts or omissions by those persons in rendering the emergency care, which may constitute ordinary negligence.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 5-25-17

  • Animal: means any animal other than humans and includes, by way of illustration, not limitation, fowl, birds, fish, livestock, and reptiles, wild or domestic, living or dead. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-25-2
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8
  • Veterinarian: means a person who practices veterinary medicine. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-25-2

(b)  The immunity granted by this section does not apply to acts or omissions constituting gross negligence.

History of Section.
P.L. 1985, ch. 531, § 2.