Nebraska Statutes 38-3321. Veterinarian; veterinary technician; animal therapist; license; required; exceptions
No person may practice veterinary medicine and surgery in the state who is not a licensed veterinarian, no person may perform delegated animal health care tasks in the state who is not a licensed veterinary technician or an unlicensed assistant performing such tasks within the limits established under subdivision (2) of section 38-3326, and no person may perform health care therapy on animals in the state who is not a licensed animal therapist. The Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act shall not be construed to prohibit:
Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes 38-3321
- Animal: means any animal other than man and includes birds, fish, and reptiles, wild or domestic, living or dead, except domestic poultry. See Nebraska Statutes 38-3304
- Direct supervision: means that the supervisor is on the premises and is available to the veterinary technician or unlicensed assistant who is treating the animal and the animal has been examined by a veterinarian at such times as acceptable veterinary practice requires consistent with the particular delegated animal health care task. See Nebraska Statutes 38-3307
- Domestic: when applied to corporations shall mean all those created by authority of this state. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Health care therapy: means health care activities that require the exercise of judgment for which licensure is required under the Uniform Credentialing Act. See Nebraska Statutes 38-3307.01
- Immediate supervision: means that the supervisor is on the premises and is in direct eyesight and hearing range of the animal and the veterinary technician or unlicensed assistant who is treating the animal and the animal has been examined by a veterinarian at such times as acceptable veterinary practice requires consistent with the particular delegated animal health care task. See Nebraska Statutes 38-3308
- Licensed animal therapist: means an individual who (1) has and maintains an undisciplined license under the Uniform Credentialing Act for a health care profession other than veterinary medicine and surgery, (2) has met the standards for additional training regarding the performance of that health care profession on animals as required by rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the department upon the recommendation of the board, and (3) is licensed as an animal therapist by the department. See Nebraska Statutes 38-3309.01
- Licensed veterinarian: means a person who is validly and currently licensed to practice veterinary medicine and surgery in this state. See Nebraska Statutes 38-3310
- Licensed veterinary technician: means an individual who is validly and currently licensed as a veterinary technician in this state. See Nebraska Statutes 38-3311
- Person: shall include bodies politic and corporate, societies, communities, the public generally, individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, and associations. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- State: when applied to different states of the United States shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories organized by Congress. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Unlicensed assistant: means an individual who is not a licensed veterinarian, a licensed veterinary technician, or a licensed animal therapist and who is working in veterinary medicine. See Nebraska Statutes 38-3314
- Veterinarian: means a person who has received a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from an accredited school of veterinary medicine or its equivalent. See Nebraska Statutes 38-3315
- Veterinary medicine and surgery: includes veterinary surgery, obstetrics, dentistry, and all other branches or specialties of veterinary medicine. See Nebraska Statutes 38-3317
- Veterinary technician: means an individual who has received a degree in veterinary technology from an approved veterinary technician program or its equivalent. See Nebraska Statutes 38-3318
(1) An employee of the federal, state, or local government from performing his or her official duties;
(2) A person who is a student in a veterinary school from performing duties or actions assigned by his or her instructors or from working under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian;
(3) A person who is a student in an approved veterinary technician program from performing duties or actions assigned by his or her instructors or from working under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian or a licensed veterinary technician;
(4) Any merchant or manufacturer from selling feed or feeds whether medicated or nonmedicated;
(5) A veterinarian regularly licensed in another state from consulting with a licensed veterinarian in this state;
(6) Any merchant or manufacturer from selling from his or her established place of business medicines, appliances, or other products used in the prevention or treatment of animal diseases or any merchant or manufacturer’s representative from conducting educational meetings to explain the use of his or her products or from investigating and advising on problems developing from the use of his or her products;
(7) An owner of livestock or a bona fide farm or ranch employee from performing any act of vaccination, surgery, pregnancy testing, retrievable transplantation of embryos on bovine, including recovering, freezing, and transferring embryos on bovine, or the administration of drugs in the treatment of domestic animals under his or her custody or ownership nor the exchange of services between persons or bona fide employees who are principally farm or ranch operators or employees in the performance of these acts;
(8) A member of the faculty of a veterinary school or veterinary science department from performing his or her regular functions, or a person lecturing or giving instructions or demonstrations at a veterinary school or veterinary science department or in connection with a continuing competency activity;
(9) Any person from selling or applying any pesticide, insecticide, or herbicide;
(10) Any person from engaging in bona fide scientific research which reasonably requires experimentation involving animals;
(11) Any person from treating or in any manner caring for domestic chickens, turkeys, or waterfowl, which are specifically exempted from the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act;
(12) Any person from performing dehorning or castrating livestock, not to include equidae. For purposes of the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act, castration shall be limited to the removal or destruction of male testes;
(13) Any person who holds a valid credential in the State of Nebraska in a health care profession or occupation regulated under the Uniform Credentialing Act from consulting with a licensed veterinarian or performing collaborative animal health care tasks on an animal under the care of such veterinarian if all such tasks are performed under the immediate supervision of such veterinarian;
(14) A person from performing a retrievable transplantation of embryos on bovine, including recovering, freezing, and transferring embryos on bovine, if the procedure is being performed by a person who (a) holds a doctorate degree in animal science with an emphasis in reproductive physiology from an accredited college or university and (b) has and can show proof of valid professional liability insurance;
(15) Any person engaging solely in equine, cat, and dog massage practice; or
(16) An emergency care provider providing emergency medical care to a law enforcement canine injured in the line of duty as described in section 38-1239.