§ 12-315-120 — Reporting requirements - immunity for reporting - veterinary-patient-client privilege inapplicable

(1) A licensed veterinarian who, during the
course of attending or treating an animal, has reasonable cause to know or suspect
that the animal has been subjected to cruelty in violation of section 18-9-202, or
subjected to animal fighting in violation of section 18-9-204, shall report or cause a
report to be made of the animal cruelty or animal fighting to a local law
enforcement agency or the bureau of animal protection.

(2) A licensed veterinarian shall not knowingly make a false report of animal
cruelty or animal fighting to a local law enforcement agency or to the bureau of
animal protection.

(3) A licensed veterinarian who willfully violates the provisions of subsection
(1) or (2) of this section commits a petty offense, punishable as provided in section
18-1.3-503.

(4) A licensed veterinarian who in good faith reports a suspected incident of
animal cruelty or animal fighting to the proper authorities in accordance with
subsection (1) of this section shall be immune from liability in any civil or criminal
action brought against the veterinarian for reporting the incident. In any civil or
criminal proceeding in which the liability of a veterinarian for reporting an incident
described in subsection (1) of this section is at issue, the good faith of the
veterinarian shall be presumed.

(5) The veterinary-patient-client privilege described in section 24-72-204
(3)(a)(XIV) may not be asserted for the purpose of excluding or refusing evidence or
testimony in a prosecution for an act of animal cruelty under section 18-9-202 or for
an act of animal fighting under section 18-9-204.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1635, � 1, effective October 1. L. 2021: (3) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 462, p. 3157, � 153, effective March 1, 2022.