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Emergency Law Inventory | Full Law Text

Law Number

Tex. Occ. Code 801.358

Summary Title

Good Samaritan Law: Veterinarian Providing Emergency Care

Summary

A veterinarian who provides emergency treatment to an ill or injured animal, either voluntarily or at the request of someone who is not the animal’s owner, will not be held legally responsible. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness. Generally, Good Samaritan laws only offer protection for those individuals who provide care during spontaneous emergencies unrelated to volunteer deployment.

Full Title

Liability of Veterinarian for Emergency Treatment; Euthanasia Presumption

Full Text

(a) A veterinarian who provides emergency treatment to an ill or injured animal on the veterinarian’s own initiative, or at the request of a person other than the animal’s owner, is not liable to the owner for damages to the animal unless the veterinarian commits gross negligence. (b) If the veterinarian performs euthanasia on the animal, the veterinarian is presumed to have performed a humane act necessary to relieve the animal’s pain and suffering.

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