(a) A veterinary practitioner who has reason to believe that an animal that has been treated by the veterinary practitioner has been subjected to cruelty or fighting in violation of § 10–604, § 10–606, § 10–607, or § 10–608 of the Criminal Law Article shall report the suspected animal cruelty or animal fighting to the appropriate law enforcement agency or county animal control agency in a timely manner.
(b) A veterinary practitioner who makes a report under subsection (a) of this section shall include in the report:
(1) The name, age, and location of the animal;
(2) The name and home address of the owner or custodian of the animal;
(3) The nature and extent of the suspected animal cruelty or animal fighting, including any evidence or information available to the veterinary practitioner concerning possible previous instances of animal cruelty or animal fighting; and
(4) Any other information that would help determine:
(i) The cause of the suspected animal cruelty or animal fighting; and
(ii) The identity of any individual responsible for the suspected animal cruelty or animal fighting.
(c) A veterinary practitioner who reports in good faith suspected animal cruelty or animal fighting or participates in an investigation of suspected animal cruelty or animal fighting is immune from:
(1) Civil liability that results from the report or participation in the investigation; or
(2) Criminal prosecution for the report or participation in the investigation.
(d) The Board shall adopt regulations establishing:
(1) Confidentiality procedures for protecting the identity of the veterinary practitioner making a report under this section;
(2) Confidentiality procedures for protecting the substance of a report made under this section and any records associated with the report; and
(3) Conditions under which the substance of a report may be disclosed.
Copyright ©2024 LegalFix. All rights reserved. LegalFix is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and does not provide legal advice, services, or representation. The information on this website is an overview of the legal plans you can purchase—or that may be provided by your employer as an employee benefit or by your credit union or other membership group as a membership benefit.
LegalFix provides its members with easy access to affordable legal services through a network of independent law firms. LegalFix, its corporate entity, and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and contractors do not provide legal advice, services, or representation—directly or indirectly.
The articles and information on the site are not legal advice and should not be relied upon—they are for information purposes only. You should become a LegalFix member to get legal services from one of our network law firms.
You should not disclose confidential or potentially incriminating information to LegalFix—you should only communicate such information to your network law firm.
The benefits and legal services described in the LegalFix legal plans are not always available in all states or with all plans. See the legal plan Benefit Overview and the more comprehensive legal plan contract during checkout for coverage details in your state.
Use of this website, the purchase of legal plans, and access to the LegalFix networks of law firms are subject to the LegalFix Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.