[Newly enacted section not yet numbered]

(a) Notwithstanding § 63-12-124 or another provision of law to the contrary, a licensed veterinarian, while acting in a professional capacity and in a current veterinarian-client-patient relationship, having reasonable cause to believe that an animal has been subjected to animal cruelty in violation of § 39-14-202, § 39-14-214, or § 39-14-217, may make or cause to be made a report of such violation to the commissioner of agriculture or the commissioner’s designee, an animal control officer, a law enforcement agency, or a district attorney and may appear and testify in a judicial or administrative proceeding concerning the care of the animal.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 63-12-NEW

  • Agriculture: means :
    (i) The land, buildings and machinery used in the commercial production of farm products and nursery stock. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Animal: means any animal other than man and includes fowl, birds, reptiles and fish, wild or domestic, living or dead. See Tennessee Code 63-12-103
  • Board: means the board of veterinary medical examiners. See Tennessee Code 63-12-103
  • Licensed veterinarian: means a person who is validly and currently licensed to practice veterinary medicine in this state. See Tennessee Code 63-12-103
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Veterinarian: means a person who has received a doctor of veterinary medicine degree or its equivalent from an approved school or college of veterinary medicine. See Tennessee Code 63-12-103
  • Veterinarian-client-patient relationship: means :
    (A) The veterinarian has assumed responsibility for making clinical judgments regarding the health of the animal and the need for medical treatment, has obtained informed consent, and the client has agreed to follow the veterinarian's instructions. See Tennessee Code 63-12-103
(b) A licensed veterinarian or person participating in the making of a report pursuant to subsection (a) is not in breach of veterinarian-client-patient confidentiality by making the report or participating in a judicial or administrative proceeding pursuant to subsection (a) and is immune from any civil or criminal liability or disciplinary action by the board, as long as such participation pursuant to subsection (a) is made in good faith.
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