Section 4729.532 | Performing euthanasia by means of lethal injection on animal.
(A) No agent or employee of an animal shelter and no county dog warden or agent or employee of a county dog warden shall perform euthanasia by means of lethal injection on an animal by use of any substance other than a substance in a manufactured dosage form that the state veterinary medical licensing board, in consultation with the state board of pharmacy, approves by rule adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.
The agent or employee of an animal shelter, county dog warden, or agent or employee of a county dog warden when using a lethal solution to perform euthanasia on an animal shall use the solution in accordance with the following methods:
(1) Intravenous injection by hypodermic needle;
(2) Intraperitoneal injection by hypodermic needle;
(3) Intracardial injection by hypodermic needle, but only on an animal verified to be unconscious;
(4) Oral administration of solution or powder.
(B) Before euthanasia, a euthanasia technician may administer a solution of one or more drugs exclusively for the purpose of inducing anesthesia, sedation, or unconsciousness prior to euthanasia. Only those drugs that have been approved by rule adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code by the state board of pharmacy, in consultation with the state veterinary medical licensing board, may be used.
(C) No agent or employee of an animal shelter and no county dog warden or agent or employee of a county dog warden, other than a registered veterinary technician as defined in section 4741.01 of the Revised Code, shall perform euthanasia by means of lethal injection on an animal or administer pre-euthanasia drugs that induce anesthesia, sedation, or unconsciousness unless the agent or employee or county dog warden has received certification after successfully completing a euthanasia technician certification course as described in this division.
The curriculum for a euthanasia technician certification course shall be one that has been approved by the state veterinary medical licensing board, shall be at least sixteen hours in length, and shall include information in at least all of the following areas:
(1) The pharmacology, proper administration, and storage of euthanasia, sedation, and anesthesia solutions;
(2) Federal and state laws regulating the storage and accountability of euthanasia, sedation, and anesthesia solutions;
(3) Euthanasia technician stress management;
(4) Proper disposal of euthanized animals.
(D)(1) No agent or employee of an animal shelter shall perform euthanasia by means of lethal injection on animals or administer pre-euthanasia drugs that induce anesthesia, sedation, or unconsciousness under this section unless the facility in which the agent or employee works or is employed is licensed with the state board of pharmacy under section 4729.531 of the Revised Code. No agent or employee of a county dog warden shall perform euthanasia by means of lethal injection on animals or administer pre-euthanasia drugs that induce anesthesia, sedation, or unconsciousness under this section unless the county dog warden is licensed under section 4729.531 of the Revised Code.
(2) Any agent or employee of an animal shelter or county dog warden performing euthanasia by means of lethal injection or administering pre-euthanasia drugs that induce anesthesia, sedation, or unconsciousness shall do so only in a humane and proficient manner that is in conformity with the methods described in divisions (A) and (B) of this section and not in violation of Chapter 959. of the Revised Code.
(E) Nothing in this section precludes a licensed veterinarian or registered veterinary technician as defined in section 4741.01 of the Revised Code from engaging in the practice of veterinary medicine as authorized in Chapter 4741. of the Revised Code.
Available Versions of this Section
- June 29, 1994 – House Bill 88 - 120th General Assembly [ View June 29, 1994 Version ]
- March 31, 2021 – Amended by House Bill 24 - 133rd General Assembly [ View March 31, 2021 Version ]