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Animal Welfare Act 1999

Care of animals - Surgical procedures

15: Restriction on performance of surgical procedures

You could also call this:

"Only vets or supervised vet students can do major animal surgeries, others must follow rules"

If you want to perform a significant surgical procedure on an animal, you must be a veterinarian. You can also perform the procedure if you are a student training to be a veterinarian and you are being supervised directly by a veterinarian. The veterinarian supervising you must be present the whole time you are performing the procedure. You can perform a surgical procedure that is not significant on an animal, as long as you follow the rules in Parts 2 and 6 and any regulations made under section 183B. When you perform a surgical procedure that is not significant, you must not cause the animal unnecessary pain or distress.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM50406.

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Health and wellbeing > Public healthEnvironment and resources > Farming and fishing
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14: Further animal welfare offences, or

"Rules to stop animals suffering unnecessarily"

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16: Criteria to determine whether procedure is significant surgical procedure, or

"How to decide if an animal's operation is a big deal"

Part 1Care of animals
Surgical procedures

15Restriction on performance of surgical procedures

  1. Except as provided in regulations made under section 183B, no person may perform any significant surgical procedure on an animal unless that person is—

  2. a veterinarian; or
    1. a person who is acting under the direct supervision of a veterinarian and who is a student undergoing his or her training to become a veterinarian.

      1. A veterinarian who, for the purpose of teaching veterinary science, supervises the performance of a significant surgical procedure, must be present throughout the performance of that surgical procedure.

      2. Any person may, subject to subsection (4) and to Parts 2 and 6 and to any regulations made under section 183B, perform on an animal any surgical procedure that is not a significant surgical procedure.

      3. No person may, in performing on an animal a surgical procedure that is not a significant surgical procedure, perform that surgical procedure in such a manner that the animal suffers unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress.

      Notes
      • Section 15(1): amended, on , by section 13(1) of the Animal Welfare Amendment Act (No 2) 2015 (2015 No 49).
      • Section 15(1)(b): replaced, on , by section 13(2) of the Animal Welfare Amendment Act (No 2) 2015 (2015 No 49).
      • Section 15(3): amended, on , by section 13(3) of the Animal Welfare Amendment Act (No 2) 2015 (2015 No 49).