(a) Any veterinarian duly licensed under this chapter who, in good faith, without remuneration or expectation of remuneration, renders emergency care to a sick or injured animal at large shall not be liable to the owner of that animal for any civil damages resulting from the veterinarian’s acts or omissions, except for damages as may result from the veterinarian’s gross negligence or wanton acts or omissions.

Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 471-17

  • Animal: means any animal except human beings;

    "Board" means the Hawaii board of veterinary medicine of the State;

    "Client" means the animal patient's owner, owner's agent, or other person presenting the animal patient for care. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 471-1

  • animal patient: means any animal or group of animals receiving veterinary care from a veterinarian. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 471-1
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Veterinarian: means a person duly licensed in the State to engage in the practice of veterinary medicine. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 471-1
  • Veterinarian-client-patient relationship: includes the provision of on-call or cross-coverage services by a veterinarian who has been designated by a veterinarian with an existing veterinarian-client-patient relationship and has access to relevant animal patient records. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 471-1
(b) A veterinarian duly licensed under this chapter may, in good faith, render necessary and prompt care and treatment to an animal patient without establishing a veterinarian-client-patient relationship if conditions do not allow the establishment of the relationship in a timely manner. A veterinarian who renders emergency treatment shall not be liable to the owner of the animal for any civil damages resulting from the veterinarian’s acts or omissions, except for damages as may result from the veterinarian’s gross negligence or wanton acts or omissions.
(c) A veterinarian acting under this section shall make an appropriate record including the basis for proceeding under this section.