Terms Used In West Virginia Code > Chapter 30 > Article 10 - Veterinarians

• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• 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
• Animal control facility: means a municipal or county operated humane society or animal shelter incorporated and organized under the laws of this state, or a humane society or an animal shelter classified as 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Service, with at least one certified animal euthanasia technician. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Applicant: means a person making application for a license, certificate, registration or permit, under the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Board: means the West Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Business entity: means any firm, partnership, association, company, corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company or other entity performing veterinary medicine, veterinary technology or animal euthanasia. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Certificate: means an animal euthanasia technician certificate issued under the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Certificate holder: means a person holding a certificate issued under the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Certified animal euthanasia technician: means a person who is certified by the board to euthanize animals in accordance with the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• 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
• Indirect supervision: means the performance of procedures on the orders of a supervising veterinarian. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Jurisprudence: The study of law and the structure of the legal system.
• License: means a veterinary medicine license issued under the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Licensee: means a person holding a license issued under the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Offense: includes every act or omission for which a fine, forfeiture, or punishment is imposed by law. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Permit: means a temporary permit to practice veterinary medicine issued by the board. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Permittee: means a person holding a permit issued under the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Practice of veterinary medicine: means to diagnose, treat, correct, change, relieve or prevent any disease, deformity, defect, injury, or other physical or mental condition, of any animal, or to prescribe for or to administer to any animal any drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, application, anesthetic or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or technique, or to render advice or any recommendation with respect to any of the foregoing. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Practice of veterinary technology: means the science and art of providing all aspects of professional medical care, services and treatment for animals with the exceptions of diagnosis, prognosis, surgery, prescription and application of any treatments, drugs, medications or appliances, where a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship exists. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Registered veterinary technician: means a person who is duly registered to practice veterinary technology under the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Registrant: means a person holding a registration issued under the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Registration: means a veterinary technician registration issued under the provisions of this article. 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
• Supervising veterinarian: means a veterinarian, licensed under this article, who assumes responsibility for the professional care given to an animal by a person authorized by this article to work under his or her general or indirect supervision. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Veterinarian: means a person who is licensed to practice veterinary medicine under the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3
• Veterinarian-client-patient relationship: means a relationship between a veterinarian, a client and a patient, and exists when:

  (1) A veterinarian assumes responsibility for medical judgments regarding the health of an animal and the client who is the owner or other caretaker of the animal agrees to follow the veterinarian'. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3

• Veterinary assistant: means a person who has not met the requirements for becoming a registered veterinary technician. See West Virginia Code 30-10-3