§ 90-181.1. Facility names and levels of service.

565 words·~3 min read·/nc/chapter-90/90-181-1

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(a)In order to accurately inform the public of the levels of service offered, a veterinary facility shall use in its name one of the descriptive terms defined in subsection

(b)of this section. The name of a veterinary facility shall, at all times, accurately reflect the level of service being offered to the public. If a veterinary facility or practice offers on-call emergency service, that service must be as that term is defined in subsection

(b)of this section.

(b)The following definitions are applicable to this section:

(1)Animal health center or animal medical center. - A veterinary facility in which consultative, clinical, and hospital services are rendered and in which a large staff of basic and applied veterinary scientists perform significant research and conduct advanced professional educational programs.

(1a)Boarding kennel. - A facility operating under a veterinary facility permit and which regularly offers to the public the service of boarding dogs or cats or both for a fee. Such a facility or establishment may, in addition to providing shelter, food, and water, offer grooming or other services for dogs and/or cats.

(2)Emergency facility. - A veterinary medical facility whose primary function is the receiving, treatment, and monitoring of emergency patients during its specified hours of operation. At this veterinary facility a veterinarian is in attendance at all hours of operation and sufficient staff is available to provide timely and appropriate emergency care. An emergency facility may be an independent veterinary medical after-hours facility, an independent veterinary medical 24-hour facility, or part of a full-service hospital or large teaching institution.

(3)Mobile facility. - A veterinary practice conducted from a vehicle with special medical or surgical facilities or from a vehicle suitable only for making house or farm calls; provided, the veterinary medical practice shall have a permanent base of operation with a published address and telephone facilities for making appointments or responding to emergency situations.

(4)Office. - A veterinary facility where a limited or consultative practice is conducted and which provides no facilities for the housing of patients.

(5)On-call emergency service. - A veterinary medical service at a facility, including a mobile facility, where veterinarians and staff are not on the premises during all hours of operation or where veterinarians leave after a patient is treated. A veterinarian shall be available to be reached by telephone for after-hours emergencies.

(6)Veterinary clinic or animal clinic. - A veterinary facility in which the practice conducted is essentially an out-patient practice.

(7)Veterinary hospital or animal hospital. - A veterinary facility in which the practice conducted includes the confinement as well as the treatment of patients.

(c)If a veterinary facility uses as its name the name of the veterinarian or veterinarians owning or operating the facility, the name of the veterinary facility shall also include a descriptive term from those listed in subsection

(b)of this section to disclose the level of service being offered.

(d)Those facilities existing and approved by the Board as of December 31, 1993, may continue to use their approved name or designation until there is a partial or total change of ownership of the facility, at which time the name of the veterinary facility shall be changed, as necessary, to comply with this section. (1993, c. 500, s. 2; 2019-170, s. 5(a); 2023-63, s. 4(c).)