4825.  It is unlawful for any person to practice veterinary medicine
or any branch thereof in this State unless at the time of so doing,
such person holds a valid, unexpired, and unrevoked license as
provided in this chapter.


4825.1.  These definitions shall govern the construction of this
chapter as it applies to veterinary medicine.
   (a) "Diagnosis" means the act or process of identifying or
determining the health status of an animal through examination and
the opinion derived from that examination.
   (b) "Animal" means any member of the animal kingdom other than
humans, and includes fowl, fish, and reptiles, wild or domestic,
whether living or dead.
   (c) "Food animal" means any animal that is raised for the
production of an edible product intended for consumption by humans.
The edible product includes, but is not limited to, milk, meat, and
eggs.  Food animal includes, but is not limited to, cattle (beef or
dairy), swine, sheep, poultry, fish, and amphibian species.
   (d) "Livestock" includes all animals, poultry, aquatic and
amphibian species that are raised, kept, or used for profit.  It does
not include those species that are usually kept as pets such as
dogs, cats, and pet birds, or companion animals, including equines.



4826.  Any person practices veterinary medicine, surgery, and
dentistry, and the various branches thereof, when he or she does any
one of the following:
   (a) Represents himself or herself as engaged in the practice of
veterinary medicine, veterinary surgery, or veterinary dentistry in
any of its branches.
   (b) Diagnoses or prescribes a drug, medicine, appliance,
application, or treatment of whatever nature for the prevention, cure
or relief of a wound, fracture, bodily injury, or disease of
animals.
   (c) Administers a drug, medicine, appliance, application, or
treatment of whatever nature for the prevention, cure, or relief of a
wound, fracture, bodily injury, or disease of animals, except where
the drug, medicine, appliance, application, or treatment is
administered by a registered veterinary technician or an unregistered
assistant at the direction of and under the direct supervision of a
licensed veterinarian subject to Article 2.5 (commencing with Section
4832).  However, no person, other than a licensed veterinarian, may
induce anesthesia unless authorized by regulation of the board.
   (d) Performs a surgical or dental operation upon an animal.
   (e) Performs any manual procedure for the diagnosis of pregnancy,
sterility, or infertility upon livestock or Equidae.
   (f) Uses any words, letters or titles in such connection or under
such circumstances as to induce the belief that the person using them
is engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine, veterinary
surgery, or veterinary dentistry.  This use shall be prima facie
evidence of the intention to represent himself or herself as engaged
in the practice of veterinary medicine, veterinary surgery, or
veterinary dentistry.



4826.1.  A veterinarian who on his or her own initiative, at the
request of an owner, or at the request of someone other than the
owner, renders emergency treatment to a sick or injured animal at the
scene of an accident shall not be liable in damages to the owner of
that animal in the absence of gross negligence.



4827.  Nothing in this chapter prohibits any person from:
   (a) Practicing veterinary medicine as a bona fide owner of one's
own animals.  This exemption applies to the following:
   (1) The owner's bona fide employees.
   (2) Any person assisting the owner, provided that the practice is
performed gratuitously.
   (b) Lay testing of poultry by the whole blood agglutination test.
For purposes of this section, "poultry" means flocks of avian
species maintained for food production, including, but not limited
to, chickens, turkeys, and exotic fowl.
   (c) Making any determination as to the status of pregnancy,
sterility, or infertility upon livestock, equine, or food animals at
the time an animal is being inseminated, providing no charge is made
for this determination.
   (d) Administering sodium pentobarbital for euthanasia of sick,
injured, homeless, or unwanted domestic pets or animals without the
presence of a veterinarian when the person is an employee of an
animal control shelter and its agencies or humane society and has
received proper training in the administration of sodium
pentobarbital for these purposes.



4828.  All veterinarians actually engaged and employed as
veterinarians by the state, or a county, city, corporation, firm or
individual are practicing veterinary medicine and shall secure a
license issued by the board.


4829.  Any license granted to any person to practice veterinary
medicine, or any branch thereof, in this State issued under any
preceding act relating to veterinary medicine shall remain in force
until the renewal fee becomes due and thereafter so long as the
holder complies with the provisions of this chapter relating to the
renewal of the license and not otherwise.  Notwithstanding the
payment of this fee his license at any time may be suspended or
revoked as provided in Article 4 of this chapter.



4830.  This chapter does not apply to:
   (a) Veterinarians while serving in any armed branch of the
military service of the United States or the United States Department
of Agriculture while actually engaged and employed in their official
capacity.
   (b) Regularly licensed veterinarians in actual consultation from
other states.
   (c) Regularly licensed veterinarians actually called from other
states to attend cases in this state, but who do not open an office
or appoint a place to do business within this state.
   (d) Veterinarians employed by the University of California while
engaged in the performance of duties in connection with the College
of Agriculture, the Agricultural Experiment Station, the School of
Veterinary Medicine or the agricultural extension work of the
university.
   (e) Students in the School of Veterinary Medicine of the
University of California who participate in diagnosis and treatment
as part of their educational experience, including those in
off-campus educational programs under the direct supervision of a
licensed veterinarian appointed by the University of California,
Davis.
   (f) A veterinarian who is employed by the Meat and Poultry
Inspection Branch of the California Department of Food and
Agriculture while actually engaged and employed in his or her
official capacity.  A person exempt under this subdivision shall not
otherwise engage in the practice of veterinary medicine unless he or
she is issued a license by the board.
   (g) Unlicensed personnel employed by the Department of Food and
Agriculture or the United States Department of Agriculture when in
the course of their duties they are directed by a veterinarian
supervisor to conduct an examination, obtain biological specimens,
apply biological tests, or administer medications or biological
products as part of government disease or condition monitoring,
investigation, control, or eradication activities.



4830.5.  Whenever any licensee under this chapter has reasonable
cause to believe that a dog has been injured or killed through
participation in a staged animal fight, as prescribed in Section 597b
of the Penal Code, it shall be the duty of the licensee to promptly
report the same to the appropriate law enforcement authorities of the
county, city, or city and county in which the same occurred.
   No licensee shall incur any civil liability as a result of making
any report pursuant to this section or as a result of making any
report of a violation of Section 596, subdivision (a) or (b) of
Section 597, or Section 597b, 597f, 597g, 597n, or 597.5 of the Penal
Code.



4831.  Any person, who violates or aids or abets in violating any of
the provisions of this chapter, is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon
conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than five
hundred dollars ($500), nor more than two thousand dollars ($2,000),
or by imprisonment in a county jail for not less than 30 days nor
more than one year, or by both the fine and imprisonment.