The following persons are exempt from licensing under the provisions of this article:

Terms Used In West Virginia Code 30-10-17

  • Animal: means any animal other than human, and the term includes fowl, birds, amphibians, fish, and reptiles, wild or domestic, living or dead. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
  • Board: means the West Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
  • General supervision: means the supervising veterinarian is in the building where the animal is being treated, has given instructions for treatment and is quickly and easily available. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
  • Veterinarian: means a person who is licensed to practice veterinary medicine under the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3

(a) An employee of the federal government performing his or her official duties, as defined by the employing agency;

(b) A student of a veterinary school working under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian;

(c) A person advising with respect to or performing acts which the board has prescribed by legislative rule as accepted livestock management practices;

(d) The owner of an animal, the owner's employees, or persons assisting the owner without any fee or compensation, caring for and treating the animal, except where the ownership of the animal was transferred for the purpose of circumventing the provisions of this article;

(e) A member of the faculty of a veterinary school performing his or her regular duties and functions, including lecturing, giving instructions or demonstrations, at a veterinary school or in connection with a board approved continuing education course or seminar;

(f) A person selling or applying a pesticide, insecticide or herbicide;

(g) A person engaging in bona fide scientific research which reasonably requires experimentation involving animals;

(h) A person engaging in bona fide scientific research in consultation with a licensed veterinarian in this state;

(i) A person treating or relieving a living animal in the case of an emergency for no fee or other compensation;

(j) A person who disposes of the carcass of a dead animal; and

(k) Veterinary assistants acting under the general supervision of a licensed veterinarian.