§ 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:
(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 .

Legislative History

Source: Laws 1967, c. 439, § 3, p. 1354; Laws 1986, LB 926, § 47; Laws 1988, LB 1100, § 56; Laws 2002, LB 1021, § 23; Laws 2004, LB 1005, § 18; Laws 2005, LB 301, § 11; R.S.Supp.,2006, § 71-1,155; Laws 2007, LB463, § 1103; Laws 2008, LB928, § 13; Laws 2009, LB463, § 7; Laws 2012, LB686, § 1; Laws 2018, LB596, § 5; Laws 2024, LB910, § 3. Annotations: Subsection (6) of this section applies to owners or bona fide farm or ranch employees who work on their own animals, not another person's animals, unless an exchange of services is involved. State ex rel. Dept. of Health v. Jeffrey, 247 Neb. 100, 525 N.W.2d 193 (1994).