New Zealand Legislation: Acts

18 Performance of controlled surgical procedures

• (1) A controlled surgical procedure may be performed on an animal only by—

  • (a) a veterinarian; or

  • (b) a person who is acting under the direct supervision of a veterinarian and who is being taught veterinary science at undergraduate level; or

  • (c) a person who is both the owner of the animal and a person who has veterinary approval to perform a surgical procedure of that type on that species of animal; or

  • (d) a person who is both an employee of the owner of the animal and a person who has veterinary approval to perform a surgical procedure of that type on that species of animal.

  (2) A veterinarian who, for the purpose of teaching veterinary science, supervises the performance of a controlled surgical procedure, must be present throughout the performance of that surgical procedure.

  (3) A person, being an owner of an animal or an employee of an owner of an animal, has, for the purposes of subsection (1), veterinary approval to perform a controlled surgical procedure on the animal only if a veterinarian certifies in writing, before the procedure is performed on the animal, that the veterinarian is satisfied that the person has the relevant expertise, practical experience, drugs, equipment, and accommodation to perform that type of surgical procedure competently on that species of animal.