(a)

Attorney's Note

Under the Tennessee Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class B misdemeanorup to 6 monthsup to $500
For details, see Tenn. Code § 40-35-111
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 63-12-144

  • Animal: means any animal other than man and includes fowl, birds, reptiles and fish, wild or domestic, living or dead. See Tennessee Code 63-12-103
  • Board: means the board of veterinary medical examiners. See Tennessee Code 63-12-103
  • Certified animal control agency: means a county or municipal animal shelter, dog pound or animal control agency, private humane society, state, county or municipal law enforcement agency, or any combination thereof, that temporarily houses stray, unwanted or injured animals and that is certified pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 63-12-103
  • Licensed veterinarian: means a person who is validly and currently licensed to practice veterinary medicine in this state. See Tennessee Code 63-12-103
  • Licensed veterinary technician: means a person who has successfully completed the examination requirements prescribed by the board and has been issued a license. See Tennessee Code 63-12-103
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Veterinarian: means a person who has received a doctor of veterinary medicine degree or its equivalent from an approved school or college of veterinary medicine. See Tennessee Code 63-12-103
  • written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) The board of veterinary medical examiners, upon submission of a complete application and payment of a fee established by the board, shall issue to any governmental animal control agency that the board determines to be qualified and that has a valid premises permit issued by the board a certificate authorizing chemical capture of animals under this section by certified animal chemical capture technicians.
(2) The agencies shall submit, as part of the application, a written protocol for chemical capture of animals by certified animal chemical capture technicians to the board for approval. The protocol shall include, at a minimum:

(A) The procedure for removing the dart from a captured animal;
(B) First aid care of the dart wound;
(C) The procedure for providing veterinary care to the animal immediately upon capture;
(D) The appropriate location and handling of the animal during recovery from anesthesia; and
(E) The supervisory structure regarding who makes the final decision to proceed with the chemical capture of an animal.
(3) It is a Class B misdemeanor for any person or entity to engage in the chemical capture of animals or imply that the person or entity has been granted a certificate as a certified animal control agency with a premises permit unless the certificate and permit have been granted under this title.
(b)

(1) The board, upon submission of a complete application and payment of a fee established by the board, shall issue to any person who the board determines to be qualified a certificate for the person to function as a certified animal chemical capture technician. Applicants shall be required to have successfully completed a sixteen-hour chemical immobilization certification course. The course must be approved by the board, and the curriculum of the course shall include pharmacology, proper administration, recordkeeping, chemical capture technology, animal behavior, postimmobilization procedures, proper public and personnel safety, and marksmanship training.
(2) It is a Class B misdemeanor for any person to chemically capture animals or imply that the person has been granted a certificate as a certified animal chemical capture technician unless a certificate has been granted under this title.
(c) The chemical capture of dogs and cats, as defined in § 44-17-601, shall only be performed by a licensed veterinarian, a licensed veterinary technician employed by and functioning under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian or a certified animal chemical capture technician as provided by law. Telazol and such other drugs that the board may approve shall be the only drugs used for the chemical capture of dogs and cats by a certified animal chemical capture technician.
(d) Tranquilizer guns shall be used for the humane chemical capture of dogs and cats. Any such tranquilizer gun shall have the capability to track the darts it shoots and shall be well maintained and kept in a high state of repair at all times.
(e) Certified animal control agencies and certified animal chemical capture technicians shall be required to renew their certificates at such intervals, upon such conditions and upon the payment of such fees as may be established by the board.
(f) Nothing in this part shall be construed to limit in any way the practice of a licensed veterinarian as provided by law.
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