This chapter does not apply to:(1) Any faculty member practicing only in conjunction with teaching duties at a school or college of veterinary medicine located in this state and accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. However, this exemption applies only to such a faculty member who does not hold a valid license issued under this chapter but who is a graduate of a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education or a school or college recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates. The faculty member exemption automatically expires when such school or college terminates the faculty member from such teaching duties. On December 31 of each year, such school or college shall provide the board with a written list of all faculty who are exempt from this chapter. Such school or college shall also notify the board in writing of any additions or deletions to such list.
(2) A person practicing as an intern or resident veterinarian who does not hold a valid license issued under this chapter and who is a graduate in training at a school or college of veterinary medicine located in this state and accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education or a school or college recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates. Such intern or resident must be a graduate of a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education or a school or college of veterinary medicine recognized by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates of the American Veterinary Medical Association. This exemption expires when such intern or resident completes or is terminated from such training. Each school or college at which such intern or resident is in training shall, on July 1 of each year, provide the board with a written list of all such interns or residents designated for this exemption, and the school or college shall also notify the board of any additions or deletions to the list.
(3) A student in a school or college of veterinary medicine while in the performance of duties assigned by her or his instructor or when working as a preceptor under the immediate supervision of a licensee, if such preceptorship is required for graduation from an accredited school or college of veterinary medicine. The licensed veterinarian is responsible for all acts performed by a preceptor under her or his supervision.
(4) Any doctor of veterinary medicine in the employ of a state agency or the United States Government while actually engaged in the performance of her or his official duties; however, this exemption does not apply to such person when the person is not engaged in carrying out her or his official duties or is not working at the installations for which her or his services were engaged.
(5)(a) Any person, or the person’s regular employee, administering to the ills or injuries of her or his own animals, including, but not limited to, castration, spaying, and dehorning of herd animals, unless title is transferred or employment provided for the purpose of circumventing this law. 474.215. (9) An employee, an agent, or a contractor of a public or private animal shelter, humane organization, or animal control agency operated by a humane organization or by a county, a municipality, or another incorporated political subdivision whose work is confined solely to the implantation of a radio frequency identification device microchip for dogs and cats in accordance with s. 823.15. (10) A paramedic or an emergency medical technician providing emergency medical care to a police canine injured in the line of duty as authorized under s. 401.254. (11) A veterinarian who holds an active license to practice veterinary medicine in another jurisdiction in the United States and is in good standing in such jurisdiction and who performs dog or cat sterilization services or routine preventative health services at the time of sterilization as an unpaid volunteer under the responsible supervision, as defined in s. 474.202, of a veterinarian licensed in this state. The supervising licensed veterinarian is responsible for all acts performed under this subsection by an out-of-state veterinarian acting under her or his responsible supervision. An out-of-state veterinarian practicing pursuant to this subsection is not eligible to apply for a premises permit under s. 474.215. For the purposes of chapters 465 and 893, persons exempt pursuant to subsection (1), subsection (2), or subsection (4) are deemed to be duly licensed practitioners authorized by the laws of this state to prescribe drugs or medicinal supplies.
History.—ss. 1, 2, ch. 79-228; ss. 13, 15, 25, 30, 32, 34, 62, ch. 80-406; ss. 20, 21, ch. 81-302; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 3, ch. 83-265; ss. 2, 15, 16, ch. 85-291; s. 2, ch. 91-176; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 108, ch. 92-149; s. 354, ch. 97-103; s. 44, ch. 2000-356; s. 1, ch. 2006-135; s. 2, ch. 2010-87; s. 34, ch. 2010-106; s. 64, ch. 2012-5; s. 26, ch. 2020-160; s. 2, ch. 2021-119; s. 1, ch. 2023-208.
1Note.—As amended by s. 34, ch. 2010-106. As amended by s. 2, ch. 2010-87, the sentence reads: “This exemption does not apply to unlicensed veterinarians practicing temporarily in the state.”