§ 34-29-77 — License Required - Certain Acts Not Prohibited

No person shall practice veterinary medicine or veterinary technology in the State of Alabama who is not a currently and validly licensed veterinarian or licensed veterinary technician or the holder of a temporary permit issued by the board. This article shall not be construed to prohibit any of the following:
(1) A student in a school or college of veterinary medicine from the performance of duties assigned by his or her instructor or from working as a veterinary student preceptee under direct or indirect supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
(2) A student in a school or college of veterinary technology accredited by the AVMA from the performance of duties assigned by his or her instructor or from working as a veterinary technician student under direct or indirect supervision of a licensed veterinarian or licensed veterinary technician.
(3) Any doctor of veterinary medicine in the employ of a state or federal agency while actually engaged in the performance of his or her official duties; however, this exemption shall not apply to a person when he or she is not engaged in carrying out his or her official duties or is not working at or for the installations for which his or her services were engaged.
(4) Any person or his or her regular employee, administering to the ills or injuries of his or her own animals, including but not limited to, castration and dehorning of cattle unless title is transferred or employment changed for the purpose of circumventing this article.
(5) State agencies, accredited schools, institutions, foundations, business corporations or associations, physicians licensed to practice medicine and surgery in all its branches, graduate doctors of veterinary medicine, or persons under direct supervision thereof, which or who conduct experiments and scientific research on animals in the development of pharmaceuticals, biologicals, serums, or methods of treatment or techniques for diagnosis or treatment of human ailments or when engaged in the study and development of methods and techniques directly or indirectly applicable to the problems of the practice of veterinary medicine.
(6) Qualified practitioners of veterinary medicine and surgery from without the State of Alabama consulting with licensed veterinarians in Alabama. No veterinarian of any other state shall actively and actually practice veterinary medicine in Alabama unless and until he or she shall obtain a license to practice veterinary medicine from the Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and shall comply with the other requirements contained in this article.
(7) A member of the faculty of a veterinary school performing his or her regular functions or a person giving board approved lectures, instructions, or demonstrations in connection with continuing education courses or seminars to licensed veterinarians, licensed veterinary technicians, veterinary students, or veterinary technician students.
(8) Persons from gratuitously giving aid, assistance, or relief in emergency cases if they do not represent themselves to be veterinarians or use any title or degree appertaining to the practice thereof.
(9) Fishery biologists actively employed by the State of Alabama, the United States government, or any person in the production or management of commercial food or game fish while in the performance of their official duties.
(10) A person from being or practicing as a “veterinary intern”, as that term is defined in subdivision (22) of Section 34-29-61.

Legislative History

(Acts 1986, No. 86-500, p. 956, §18; Acts 1989, No. 89-236, p. 310, §3; Acts 1997, No. 97-249, p. 431, §1; Act 2006-590, p. 1596, §1; Act 2010-536, p. 905, §1.)