{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-321.200","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 321.200","heading":"Exemptions from application of chapter.","body":"(1) No provision of this chapter shall be construed to prohibit any of the following:\n(a) Any persons from gratuitously treating animals in cases of emergency care,\nprovided they do not use the word \"veterinarian,\" \"veterinary,\" \"veterinary\ntechnician,\" \"veterinary nurse,\" or any title, words, abbreviation, or letters in a\nmanner or under circumstances which may induce the belief that the person\nusing them is qualified to engage in the practice of veterinary medicine or the\npractice of veterinary technology as described in KRS 321.181;\n(b) 1. The owner of any animal or animals, the owner's full -time, or part-time,\nregular employees, or the owner's agent from caring for and treating\nanimals maintained in their custody, including but not limited to\neuthanasia of livestock or administering drugs that are obtained and used\nin accordance with applicable state and federal statutes and regulations\nto, any animals belonging to the owner. With the exception of paragraph\n(c) of this subsection and other limiting statutes, treatment shall not\ninclude surgery.\n2. Transfer of ownership, a temporary contract, or a temporary change in a\nperson's employment status shall not be used for the purpose of\ncircumventing this provision.\n3. This provision shall not exempt an employee who  would otherwise\nqualify for a board credential from the credentialing requirements of this\nchapter based on the employment status;\n(c) Any person from castrating and dehorning food animals, as long as any drugs\nor medications are obtained and used in acco rdance with applicable state and\nfederal statutes and regulations governing controlled substances, legend drugs,\nand veterinary drugs;\n(d) Any veterinary student as defined in KRS 321.181 from working under the\ndirect supervision of a veterinarian who is licensed under this chapter;\n(e) Unlicensed graduate veterinarians in the United States Armed Services or\nemployees of the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant\nHealth Inspection Service, from engaging in the performance of their official\nduties;\n(f) Other lawfully qualified veterinarians who reside in and are licensed in other\njurisdictions from discussing or meeting, either in person or via telehealth,\nwith licensed veterinarians of this Commonwealth in consultation about a\npatient so long as the Kentucky -licensed vet erinarian has established and\nmaintains a current VCPR with the patient;\n(g) A trainer, sales agent, or herdsman from caring for animals, upon instruction\nfrom a Kentucky -licensed veterinarian, provided there is a current VCPR as\ndefined in KRS 321.185;\n(h) A university faculty member or unlicensed veterinarian employee from\nteaching veterinary science or related courses, providing services offered by\nthe university's veterinary diagnostic laboratory, or from engaging in\nveterinary research through or on be half of the university where the person is\nemployed, including drug and drug testing research, provided that research is\nconducted in accordance with applicable state and federal statutes and\nregulations governing controlled substances, prescription drugs,  veterinary\ndrugs, and legend drugs. This provision shall not exempt the university\nfaculty member or unlicensed veterinarian employee from the requirements of\nlicensure if the person engages in the practice of veterinary medicine outside\nthe authority of the university or the scope of employment with the university\nor engages in the private practice of veterinary medicine for compensation;\n(i) Any person who holds a postgraduate degree in reproductive physiology or a\nrelated field, and who has performed embryo transfers in Kentucky during the\nfive (5) years immediately preceding July 14, 1992, from performing embryo\ntransfers on animals;\n(j) Volunteer health practitioners providing services under KRS 39A.350 to\n39A.366;\n(k) A retailer or its agent from prov iding information and suggestions regarding\nthe over -the-counter products it sells to treat animals so long as the\ninformation and suggestions are consistent with the product label and species\nappropriate;\n(l) A Kentucky-licensed veterinarian from inspecti ng an animal, or an animal's\nradiographs or other medical records, on behalf of a potential buyer or\npotential seller, without regard to the existence of a VCPR;\n(m) Any persons from implanting a microchip in an animal for the purposes of\nidentification or the establishment of ownership;\n(n) A veterinarian who is licensed in another jurisdiction of the United States or\nCanada, is in good standing in that jurisdiction, meets all criteria for licensure\nin Kentucky, and who has an active application on file wi th the board pending\nfor less than ninety (90) days, from working as a veterinarian in Kentucky\nunder the supervision of a Kentucky -licensed veterinarian while the board\napplication for licensure is being processed, so long as the place of\nemployment, start date, contact information where the applicant works, and a\nsupervising veterinarian are disclosed in the application;\n(o) Allied animal health professionals who are working within the scope of the\nlicense;\n(p) Certified animal euthanasia specialists who are working within the scope of\ntheir certificate; or\n(q) Volunteer health practitioners consulting with and assisting a licensed\nveterinarian at a facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums\nfrom assisting in the care of and procedures on  the zoo animals at the facility\nwhile under the supervision of the veterinarian.\n(2) (a) An unlicensed veterinarian who does not qualify for licensure in Kentucky\nand who is a nonresident of the United States may be employed in this\nCommonwealth to engage in the practice of veterinary medicine for not more\nthan thirty (30) days in a calendar year, provided the person:\n1. Holds a valid, current license as a veterinarian in the person's home\ncountry;\n2. Practices under the direct supervision of a veterinaria n licensed in\nKentucky;\n3. Registers with the board prior to commencing practice in the\nCommonwealth; and\n4. Agrees to practice and follow all the rules and administrative regulations\nof this chapter and be subject to discipline for violations of those rul es\nand administrative regulations by the Kentucky Board of Veterinary\nExaminers.\n(b) This subsection shall not apply to a nonresident of the United States who is\notherwise eligible for a Kentucky license or other credential under this\nchapter.\n(3) Nothing in this chapter shall interfere with the professional activities of any\nlicensed pharmacist.","path":["KRS Chapter 321"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56282","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:58:16Z","sha256":"1662a36d6735ed4728584ae798cb08ecbfff11de4e1e59fe4930166319412d5a","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-321.195","next":"us-ky/krs-321.201"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}