§ 28-1020 — Animal abandonment, cruel neglect, or cruel mistreatment; report required by animal health care professional; immunity from liability

(1) Any animal health care professional, while acting in
his or her professional capacity or within the scope of his or her employment,
who observes or is involved in an incident which leads the animal health care
professional to reasonably suspect that an animal has been abandoned, cruelly
neglected, or cruelly mistreated, shall report such treatment to an entity
that investigates such reports in the appropriate jurisdiction.
(2) Nothing
in this section shall be construed to impose a duty to investigate observed
or reasonably suspected abandonment, cruel neglect, or cruel mistreatment
of an animal. Any person making a report under this section is immune from
liability except for false statements of fact made with malicious intent.
(3) For purposes
of this section, an animal health care professional means a licensed veterinarian
as defined in section 38-3310 or a licensed veterinary technician as defined
in section 38-3311 .

Legislative History

Source: Laws 2009, LB494, § 7.