{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-321.181","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 321.181","heading":"Definitions for chapter.","body":"As used in this chapter:\n(1) \"Allied animal health professional\" or \"AAHP\" means a professional who has\ncompleted an approved allied animal health professional program as defined in an\nadministrative regulation promulgated by the board in accordance with KRS\nChapter 13A and who offers  specialized, limited services as defined in this chapter\nor by an administrative regulation to an animal patient in an area of practice as\nidentified in KRS 321.251;\n(2) (a) \"Allied animal health professional facility\" or \"AAHP facility\" means any\nbuilding, fixed facility, place, premises, mobile facility, mobile unit, or\nlocation from which the practice of allied animal health professionals on\nanimals is conducted or performed, including but not limited to a mobile\nclinic or facility, outpatient clinic, e mergency facility, specialty facility,\nreferral facility, human facility, or center.\n(b) An AAHP facility includes all fixed buildings used in AAHP practice at a\nsingle physical premises location.\n(c) An AAHP facility does not include:\n1. The premises of a  client unless a fixed allied animal health professional\nfacility is located on the premises;\n2. A research facility;\n3. A federal military base;\n4. Locations for temporary animal exhibition;\n5. State or federal regulatory facilities; or\n6. An approved allied animal health professional program location;\n(3) \"Allied animal health professional manager\" or \"AAHP manager\" means at least\none (1) board -licensed AAHP who registers to assume responsibilit y for the\nregistration, management, and operation of a registered allied animal health\nprofessional facility;\n(4) \"Allied animal health professional license\" or \"AAHP license\" means a credential\nissued to an allied animal health professional who is license d by the board to\npractice on animals in the Commonwealth and to conduct specialized services for\nan animal patient limited to the scope of work as defined in this chapter or by the\nboard in administrative regulation;\n(5) \"Animal\" means any member of the a nimal kingdom other than a human, whether\nliving or dead;\n(6) \"Animal chiropractic\" means the science of diagnosing and adjusting or\nmanipulating the subluxations of the articulations of an animal's spine and its\nadjacent tissues and by applying methods of  treatment designed to augment those\nadjustments or manipulations;\n(7) \"Animal control agency\" means an animal shelter fulfilling the duties required\npursuant to KRS Chapter 258 that is owned, contracted with, or in service on behalf\nof a county or municipality;\n(8) \"Animal shelter\" means a public agency or private humane society, society for the\nprevention of cruelty to animals, animal protection shelter or control agency, or\nother facility that provides shelter and care for homeless, stray, unwanted, or\ninjured domestic animals;\n(9) \"Applicant\" means a person who submits an application for licensure, certification,\nlicense, or registration, whether complete or not, to the board;\n(10) \"Approved allied animal health professional program\" means a school or\neducational program offering specialized training to provide limited services to an\nanimal patient that has been approved by the board in an administrative regulation\nas meeting its administrative standards;\n(11) \"Approved foreign equivalency program\" means a school or educational program\nthat has been approved by the board as meeting its administrative standards, which\noffers additional training and testing for persons who graduated from a non -board-\napproved veterinary medical program or non-board-approved veterinary technology\nprogram;\n(12) \"Approved program of continuing education\" means an educational program\napproved by the board or offered by an approved provider of continuing education;\n(13) \"Approved provider of continuing education\" means any person t hat has met the\nrequirements of the board to provide educational courses that are designed to ensure\ncontinued competence in the practice of veterinary medicine, veterinary technology,\nanimal euthanasia, or other area of practice governed by the board;\n(14) \"Approved veterinary medical program\" means a school of veterinary medicine or a\nveterinary medical education program that has been approved by the board as\nmeeting its administrative standards;\n(15) \"Approved veterinary technology program\" means a schoo l of veterinary\ntechnology or a veterinary technology education program that has been approved by\nthe board as meeting its administrative standards;\n(16) \"Background check\" means an inquiry within a system for the collection,\nprocessing, preservation, or dissemination of criminal history records maintained by\none (1) or more local, state, or federal agencies;\n(17) \"Board\" means the Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners;\n(18) \"Certificate holder\" means a person certified by the board;\n(19) \"Certified animal control agency\" means an animal shelter that is certified by the\nboard;\n(20) \"Certified animal euthanasia specialist\" means a person employed by a certified\nanimal control agency who is authorized by the board to humanely euthanize\nanimals by administering drugs designated by the board for euthanasia and sedation\nincluding animals owned by the certified animal control agency or animals in\nemergency care circumstances;\n(21) \"Chemical restraint\" means the use of any controlled substance, veterinary drug,\nprescription, veterinary prescription drug, or legend drug that assists in the restraint\nof or sedates the animal;\n(22) \"Client\" means the owner, owner's agent, or other person presenting the patient for\ncare, who has entered into an agreement with a veterina rian or allied animal health\nprofessional on behalf of a patient for the purposes of obtaining veterinary medical\nservices or allied animal health professional services in person or by any means of\ncommunication or telehealth;\n(23) \"Compensation\" includes any gift, bonus, fee, money, credit, or other thing of\nvalue;\n(24) \"Complementary and alternative veterinary medicine therapies\" means a\nheterogeneous group of preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic philosophies and\npractices that are not considered part of conventional veterinary medicine. These\ntherapies include but are not limited to:\n(a) Veterinary acupuncture, acutherapy, and acupressure;\n(b) Veterinary homeopathy;\n(c) Veterinary manual or manipulative therapy, such as therapies based on\ntechniques practiced in osteopathy, chiropractic, or physical medicine and\ntherapy;\n(d) Veterinary nutraceutical therapy; and\n(e) Veterinary phytotherapy;\n(25) \"Consultation\" means a vet erinarian's receipt of advice, assistance in person, or by\nany method of communication from a veterinarian or other person whose expertise,\nin the opinion of the veterinarian, would benefit a patient while the responsibility\nfor the welfare of the patient remains with the veterinarian receiving consultation;\n(26) \"Continuing education\" means training that is designed to ensure continued\ncompetence in the practice of veterinary medicine, veterinary technology, or for\ncertified animal euthanasia specialists, licensed allied animal health professionals,\nor any board credential holder;\n(27) \"Continuing education contact hour\" means a fifty (50) minute clock hour of\ninstruction, not including breaks or meals;\n(28) \"Conviction\" means a formal declaration that some one is guilty of a crime by a\ncourt of competent jurisdiction and shall include a finding or verdict of guilt, an\nadmission of guilt, a no contest plea, a plea of nolo contendere, or a guilty plea;\n(29) \"Credential\" means:\n(a) Any license, certificate, per mit, registration, or other credential issued or\napproved by the board; or\n(b) The authorization to serve as the veterinarian manager or registered\nresponsible party designated on a veterinary facility registration, as the AAHP\nmanager or registered respon sible party designated on an AAHP facility\nregistration, or as the designated on -site manager designated for a certified\nanimal control agency;\n(30) \"Credential holder\" means a person who holds an approved credential issued by the\nboard, which may be one (1) or more of the following:\n(a) Certificate;\n(b) License;\n(c) Registration; or\n(d) Special permit;\n(31) \"Designated on -site manager\" means a person who registers with the board to\nassume responsibility for the ordering, management, use, and disposal of co ntrolled\nsubstances at a certified animal control agency;\n(32) \"Discipline\" means any final order, settlement agreement, reprimand, fine, or other\nadverse consequence assessed against a person by the board or any of its\ncounterparts in other jurisdictions;\n(33) \"Embryo transfer\" means to remove an embryo from any animal for the purpose of\ntransplanting the embryo into another animal, cryopreserving the embryo, or\nimplanting the embryo into any animal, including food and companion animals;\n(34) \"Emergency ca re\" means immediate treatment that is necessary to sustain life or\nend suffering of an animal that is in a life-threatening condition;\n(35) \"Equine dentistry\" means any diagnosis, treatment, or surgical procedure performed\non the head or oral cavity of an equine animal, including:\n(a) Any procedure that invades the tissues of the oral cavity, including a\nprocedure to:\n1. Remove sharp enamel projections;\n2. Treat malocclusions of the teeth;\n3. Reshape teeth; or\n4. Extract one (1) or more teeth;\n(b) The treatment or extraction of damaged or diseased teeth;\n(c) The treatment of diseased teeth through restoration and endodontic\nprocedures;\n(d) Periodontal treatments, including the:\n1. Removal of calculus, soft deposits, plaque, and stains above the gum\nline; and\n2. Smoothing, filing, and polishing of tooth surfaces; and\n(e) Dental radiography;\n(36) \"Examination\" means a qualifying examination approved by the board as a\ncondition for certification, licensure, permit, or registration;\n(37) \"Expired\" is a licensure status whereby the credential holder failed to renew the\ncredential in a timely manner in accordance with the deadline set by the board;\n(38) \"Extralabel use\" means actual use or intended use of a drug in an animal in a\nmanner that is not in acco rdance with the approved labeling and includes but is not\nlimited to:\n(a) Use in species or production class not listed in the labeling;\n(b) Use for indications such as disease or other conditions not listed in the\nlabeling;\n(c) Use at dosage levels, frequ encies, or routes of administration other than those\nstated in the labeling; and\n(d) Deviation from the labeled withdrawal time based on these different uses;\n(39) \"Felony\" means a criminal act as defined by any jurisdiction or by definition under\nfederal law;\n(40) \"Fixed facility\" means a permanent location that is generally not moveable;\n(41) \"Grievance\" or \"complaint\" means any allegation of misconduct that may constitute\na violation of this chapter or any administrative regulation promulgated under the\nauthority of this chapter;\n(42) \"Impaired\" means that a credential holder, designated on -site manager, veterinarian\nmanager, AAHP manager, or registered responsible party may reasonably be unable\nto perform that person's duties with competence, skill, and safety because of a\nphysical or mental disability or incapacity, including deterioration of mental\ncapacity, loss of motor skills, or substance use or disorder of sufficient degree\nwhich may reasonably diminish the person's ability to deliver competent pat ient\ncare;\n(43) \"In-person\" means physically in the same physical space;\n(44) \"Informed consent\" or \"consent\" means the veterinarian or allied animal health\nprofessional licensee has informed the client or the client's authorized\nrepresentative in a manner  understood by the client or the client's authorized\nrepresentative of the diagnostic and treatment options, potential outcomes, risk\nassessment, prognosis, and options and the client has consented to or knowingly\ndeclined the recommended services or treatment;\n(45) \"Jurisdiction\" means:\n(a) Any Commonwealth, state, or territory of the United States of America,\nincluding the District of Columbia;\n(b) Any province of Canada; or\n(c) A regulatory organization, including an international body;\nthat issues licenses, registrations, permits, or certificates related to the professional\nfields of veterinary medicine;\n(46) \"Licensee\" means a person licensed by the board under this chapter;\n(47) \"Livestock\" means bovines, equines, sheep, goats, swine, poultry, capture d or\ncultivated aquatic species, farm -raised cervidae and camelidae, bees, and any other\nspecies used in the production of fiber, meat, eggs, honey, milk, and other animal\nfood products;\n(48) \"Mobile facility\" or \"mobile unit\" means a motor vehicle that is  utilized pursuant to\nKRS 321.205;\n(49) \"Patient\" means any animal or group of animals receiving care from a veterinarian,\nveterinary technician, veterinary assistant, animal euthanasia specialist, allied\nanimal health professional, veterinary student, veterinary technician student, or\nveterinary practice staff;\n(50) \"Permittee\" means a person permitted by the board under this chapter;\n(51) \"Person\" means any individual, firm, partnership, association, joint venture,\ncooperative, corporation, governmental body, or any other group, legal entity, or\ncombination act ing in concert, and whether or not acting as a principal, trustee,\nfiduciary, receiver, or as any kind of legal or personal representative, or as the\nsuccessor in interest, assignee, agent, factor, servant, employee, director, officer, or\nany other representative of the person;\n(52) \"Practice of veterinary medicine\" means any person who practices veterinary\nmedicine when performing any one (1) or more of the following on an animal:\n(a) Directly or indirectly diagnoses, prognoses, corrects, changes, relieves ,\nprevents, supervises, recommends, or performs medical or surgical treatment,\nincluding complementary and alternative veterinary medicine therapies,\nobstetrics, dentistry, oral surgery, acupuncture, laser therapy, manipulation,\nand all other branches or s pecialties of veterinary medicine, for the diagnosis,\nprevention, cure, or relief of a wound, defect, deformity, fracture, bodily\ninjury, disease, or dental, physical, behavioral, or mental condition;\n(b) Prescribes, dispenses, or administers any drug, med icine, anesthetic, biologic,\nappliance, apparatus, application, treatment, or other therapeutic or diagnostic\nsubstance or technique for veterinary purposes, or performs euthanasia, in\naccordance with the applicable federal statutes and regulations governi ng\ncontrolled prescription drugs, legend drugs, and veterinary drugs;\n(c) Performs any manual procedure for the diagnosis, treatment, or both of\npregnancy, sterility, or infertility, including embryo transfer;\n(d) Represents oneself, directly or indirectly , as engaging in the practice of\nveterinary medicine; or\n(e) Uses any words, letters, or titles as to induce the belief that the individual\nusing them is authorized to practice veterinary medicine under this chapter\nwith such use being prima facie evidence  of the intention to represent oneself\nas engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine;\n(53) \"Practice of veterinary technology\" means:\n(a) The practices of veterinary technology when performing patient care,\nprofessional medical care, monitoring, treatm ent, or other services on an\nanimal that require a technical understanding of veterinary medicine on the\nbasis of written or oral instruction of a veterinarian, or under supervision of a\nveterinarian; and\n(b) 1. Representation of oneself, directly or indir ectly, as a licensed veterinary\ntechnician or \"LVT\"; or\n2. Use of any words, letters, or titles under circumstances that would\ninduce the belief that the individual using them is authorized to practice\nas a veterinary technician under this chapter, with su ch use being prima\nfacie evidence of the intention to represent oneself as engaged in\npractice as a veterinary technician;\n(54) \"Premises\" means any place where an animal is located when veterinary medicine\nis being practiced;\n(55) \"Prescription\" means an order for a drug or medicine, combination or mixture of\ndrugs or medicines, or proprietary preparation that is signed, given, or authorized\nand intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of\ndisease in a patient;\n(56) \"Registrant\" means a person or premises registered with the board under this\nchapter;\n(57) \"Registered allied animal health professional facility\" or \"registered AAHP facility\"\nmeans an AAHP facility that is registered with the board;\n(58) \"Registered facility \" means any AAHP facility or any veterinary facility that is\nregistered with the board;\n(59) \"Registered responsible party\" means at least one (1) person documented as the:\n(a) Entity that is designated as the registered responsible party on a facility\nregistration and is responsible for its operation and management in\nconjunction with the veterinarian manager or allied animal health professional\nmanager; and\n(b) Entity that is held accountable to the board as a credential holder for any\nviolation of this c hapter and its associated administrative regulations. At a\nminimum, the registered party shall include all persons, owners, and corporate\nowners of the registered veterinary facility or allied animal health professional\nfacility;\n(60) \"Registered veterinary facility\" means a veterinary facility that is registered with the\nboard;\n(61) \"Supervision\" pertains to any of the following:\n(a) \"Supervising veterinarian\" means a veterinarian who assumes responsibility\nfor the veterinary care given to a patient by an individual working under the\nveterinarian's direction and has examined the patient pursuant to currently\nacceptable standards of care;\n(b) \"Immediate supervision\" means the supervising veterinarian is physically in\nthe immediate area and within audible and  visual range of the patient and the\nindividual treating the patient;\n(c) \"Direct supervision\" means the supervising veterinarian is readily available on\nthe premises where the patient is being treated; and\n(d) \"Indirect supervision\" means the supervising veterinarian need not be on the\npremises but has given either written or oral instructions for the treatment of\nthe patient and is readily available for communication;\n(62) \"Teleadvice\" means the provision of an y health information, opinion, guidance, or\nrecommendation concerning prudent future actions that are not specific to a\nparticular patient's health, illness, or injury;\n(63) \"Teleconsulting\" means telehealth in which a veterinarian, veterinary technician,\nAAHP, or other credential holder uses telehealth tools to communicate with a\nspecialist or another professional to gain insights and advice on the care of a\npatient;\n(64) \"Telehealth\" means all uses of technology to remotely gather and deliver health\ninformation, advice, education, and care;\n(65) \"Telemedicine\" or \"connected care\" means the integration of digital technologies to\nenhance and support the VCPR and facilitate proactive and ongoing care through\nimproved communication, diagnosis, and monitoring;\n(66) \"Telemonitoring,\" \"mHealth,\" or \"mobile health,\" means remote monitoring of a\npatient who is not at the same location as the health care provider;\n(67) \"Telesupervision\" means the supervision of individuals using media such as audio\nor audio/video conference, text messaging, and e-mail;\n(68) \"Teletriage\" means the safe, appropriate, and timely assessment and management of\nan animal patient via electronic consultation with its owner, regardless of whether\nthere is an immediate referral to a veterinarian  and where a diagnosis is not\nrendered;\n(69) \"Veterinarian\" means an individual who is licensed to engage in the practice of\nveterinary medicine under this chapter;\n(70) \"Veterinarian manager\" means at least one (1) Kentucky -licensed veterinarian who\nregisters to assume responsibility for the registration, management, and operation of\na registered veterinary facility;\n(71) \"Veterinarian-client-patient relationship\" or \"VCPR\" has the same meaning as in\nKRS 321.185;\n(72) \"Veterinary assistant\" means a laypers on without credentials who is employed by a\nveterinarian in accordance with KRS 321.443;\n(73) (a) \"Veterinary facility\" means any building, fixed facility, place, premises,\nmobile facility, or mobile unit location from which the practice of veterinary\nmedicine and practice of veterinary technology are conducted or performed,\nincluding but not limited to a mobile clinic or facility, outpatient clinic,\nveterinary hospital or clinic, emergency facility, specialty facility, referral\nfacility or center, temporar y health clinic, or spay/neuter location. A\nveterinary facility shall include all fixed buildings used for the practice of\nveterinary medicine at a single physical premises location.\n(b) \"Veterinary facility\" does not include:\n1. The premises of a veterina ry client unless a fixed veterinary facility is\nlocated on the veterinary client's premises;\n2. A research facility;\n3. A federal military base;\n4. Locations for temporary animal exhibition;\n5. State or federal regulatory facilities;\n6. Officially designated emergency and disaster response locations;\n7. A facility with current accreditation by the Association of Zoos and\nAquariums; or\n8. An American Veterinary Medical Association -accredited college of\nveterinary medicine or veterinary technology;\n(74) \"Veterinary specialist\" means a veterinarian that has been awarded and maintains\ncertification from an American Veterinary Medical Association -recognized\nveterinary specialty organization, program, or college, and is registered in this\nspecialty with the board;\n(75) \"Veterinary student\" means:\n(a) A person enrolled in an approved veterinary medical program while pursuing\na degree in veterinary medicine; or\n(b) A person in a post -Doctor of Veterinary Medicine temporary private\ninternship, residency, or veterinary hospital -based program, not to exceed\nthirty (30) days in a calendar year;\n(76) \"Veterinary technician\" means a person who has completed an approved vet erinary\ntechnology program, is licensed in accordance with this chapter, and meets the\nrequirements in KRS 321.441;\n(77) \"Veterinary wellness committee\" means a committee appointed by the board that is\ncomposed of individuals who have expertise in the area s of alcohol abuse, chemical\ndependence, drug abuse, or physical or mental condition designated by the board to\nperform activities related to the veterinary wellness program; and\n(78) \"Veterinary wellness program\" means the board -sponsored program for the\nidentification, intervention, and monitoring of credential holders or applicants who\nmay be impaired as a result of alcohol abuse, chemical dependence, drug abuse, or\nany physical or mental condition.","path":["KRS Chapter 321"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56276","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:58:16Z","sha256":"0a0e90418880db0b3ffb83137b9a85c3a864962c92d95393f029a07a80959568","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-321.180","next":"us-ky/krs-321.185"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}