California Code of Regulations
Title 16 - Professional and Vocational Regulations
Division 20 - Veterinary Medical Board
Article 4 - Practice
Section 2039 - Sodium Pentobarbital/Euthanasia Training

Universal Citation: 16 CA Code of Regs 2039

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 12, March 22, 2024

(a) In accordance with section 4827(d) of the code, an employee of an animal control shelter or humane society and its agencies who is not a veterinarian or registered veterinary technician (RVT) shall be deemed to have received proper training to administer, without the presence of a veterinarian, sodium pentobarbital for euthanasia of sick, injured, homeless, or unwanted domestic pets or animals if the person has completed a curriculum of at least eight (8) hours as specified in the publication by the California Animal Welfare Association entitled "Euthanasia Training Curriculum" dated October 24, 1997, that includes the following subjects:

(1) History and reasons for euthanasia

(2) Humane animal restraint techniques

(3) Sodium pentobarbital injection methods and procedures

(4) Verification of death

(5) Safety training and stress management for personnel

(6) Record keeping and regulation compliance for sodium pentobarbital At least five (5) hours of the curriculum shall consist of hands-on training in humane animal restraint techniques and sodium pentobarbital injection procedures.

(b) The training curriculum shall be provided by a veterinarian, an RVT, or an individual who has been certified by the California Animal Welfare Association to train persons in the humane use of sodium pentobarbital as specified in their publication entitled "Criteria for Certification of Animal Euthanasia Instructors in the State of California" dated September 1, 1997.

1. New section filed 4-30-98; operative 10-30-98 (Register 98, No. 18).
2. Change without regulatory effect amending subsections (a) and (b) filed 10-28-2021 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2021, No. 44).

Note: Authority cited: Section 4808, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Section 4827, Business and Professions Code.

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