Wyo. Code R. 251-0001-10
Veterinary Medicine, Board of
Chapter 10: Animal Euthanasia
Effective Date: 11/14/2016 to Current
Rule Type: Current Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 251.0001.10.11142016
Section 1. Authority. These rules and regulations are promulgated by the Wyoming Board of Veterinary Medicine under authority granted by W.S. 33-30-223 through 33-30-225.
Section 2. Requirements for Certification. A certificate shall not be issued until the applicant has provided satisfactory evidence to the Board that the applicant:
(a) Is a citizen of the United States or is lawfully admitted to remain and work in the United States:
(b) Is employed or sponsored by a law enforcement agency;
(c) Has no felony convictions or any criminal violation relating to cruelty to animals or animal neglect; and
(d) Has completed an animal euthanasia training and testing program approved or developed by the Board within two (2) years prior to the application date. Exemptions to the two (2) year limit may be granted by the Board for good cause. A certificate of completion from an approved training program or a signed form provided by the Board from a veterinarian licensed in the State of Wyoming shall be evidence that the applicant has completed the training course.
(a) The Board recognizes the following training programs as being approved for use by applicants for certification:
(i) National Animal Control Association Euthanasia Training Course.
(ii) The Humane Society of the United States Euthanasia Training, hands on course only.
(iii) American Humane Association Euthanasia Training.
(b) The Board, upon submission of a course outline that includes a practical exercise may recognize a training course as provided by a veterinarian licensed in the State of Wyoming. The course shall include each of the following subjects:
(i) The theory of euthanasia;
(ii) Animal anatomy;
(iii) Dosage of approved euthanasia drugs; (iv) Effects of approved euthanasia drugs; (v) Verification of death; (vi) Methods of humanely euthanizing injured, sick, homeless, or unwanted animals; (vii) Security precautions; (viii) Record keeping; and (ix) A practical examination administered by the veterinarian.
(a) Applicants shall submit: (i) A non-refundable application fee; (ii) Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal presence in the United States; (iii) A certificate of completion of an approved animal euthanasia training and testing program as defined in Section 3; and (iv) Verification of certification from jurisdictions where the applicant holds or has held certification as an animal euthanasia technician or similar certification.
Section 5. Issuance and Expiration of Certificate. The Board shall issue a wall certificate and a wallet identification card to the successful applicant bearing the full name of the holder, sponsoring or employing agency, certificate number, date of issuance, expiration date, and appropriate seal.
(a) Certificates shall expire one (1) year from the date issued unless surrendered, revoked, or suspended by the Board. (b) A certificate shall be renewable before it expires by the holder providing the Board with the following to be received before the license expires: (i) The renewal fee; (ii) Complete application for renewal; and (iii) Verification of compliance with the continuing education requirements.
(c) Approximately sixty (60) days prior to the expiration date the Board will send a renewal application to the address of record.
(d) Renewal applications will not be accepted more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the expiration date.
(e) Renewal applications received which are postmarked after the certificate expiration date, or after the next business day in cases when the certificate expiration date falls on a weekend or official holiday, will not be processed and the certificate will expire.
(f) Failure to receive an application for renewal from the Board does not excuse a certificate holder from the requirement for renewal under the Act and these rules.
Section 6. Change in Employment or Sponsorship. The sponsoring or employing agency shall send notification of a certificate holder's change in employment or sponsorship to the Board's address upon agency letterhead. This notification shall be made immediately upon the change in sponsorship or employment. When the Board receives such notification, that certificate shall automatically become null and void, regardless of the expiration date on the certificate, unless the certificate holder provides proof of employment or sponsorship from another agency. At that time, the Board shall issue a new certificate bearing the new employment or sponsoring agency's name that shall be valid only for that agency. Nothing in this section shall be construed to extend a certificate past the one year expiration date.
(a) Each certificate holder shall earn a minimum of four (4) contact hours of Board approved training during the twenty-four (24) months immediately preceding the certificate expiration date.
(b) Excess continuing education credit hours acquired in one twenty-four (24) month period may not be carried forward to the next period.
(c) The following standards shall govern acceptability of continuing education activities:
(i) The activities shall have significant intellectual or practical content and the primary objective shall be to increase the participant's competence in the practice of animal euthanasia;
(ii) The activities shall constitute an organized program of learning dealing with matters directly related to the practice, professional responsibility, or ethical obligations of animal euthanasia technicians;
(iii) Presenters of these activities shall be experts in animal euthanasia. The scope of practice in these rules and regulations may be used as a basis of what knowledge and skills are acceptable to the Board as continuing education activities.
(d) Continuing education programs not sponsored by the organizations listed in Section 3 of this chapter may be submitted for review and approval by the Board. The course outline or course synopsis along with the instructor credentials must be submitted to the Board at least thirty (30) days prior to the course. Failure to provide the Board with the course outline or synopsis within the thirty (30) day limit may disqualify the course from being considered as continuing education.
(e) Certificate holders shall list their continuing education activities on the form provided by the Board.
(i) In addition to the listing, the certificate holder shall attach copies of any certificates of attendance, letters certifying attendance, transcripts, or any other official documents which show attendance.
(ii) Proof of attendance shall contain the activity title, dates, contact hours attended, sponsor, presenter, and the name of the certificate holder.
(f) Certificate holders are responsible for maintaining their own continuing education documentation.
Section 8. Reinstatement. An expired certificate may be reinstated by the Board upon request made in writing and received within sixty (60) days of the expiration date. The applicant shall submit:
Section 9. Standards.
(a) The area used for euthanasia shall:
(i) Be a room that is separated from the rest of the agency by a wall, barrier, or other divider or an area that is not used for other purposes while an animal is being euthanized;
(ii) Have bright and even lighting;
(iii) Have adequate ventilation to prevent the accumulation of odors;
(iv) Have a table or work area where an animal can be handled while being euthanized;
(v) Have the following materials in the area used for euthanasia:
(A) Wyoming Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) approved first aid kit;
(B) One or more tourniquets;
(C) Control pole;
(D) Net or cat tongs;
(E) Squeeze cage;
(F) Stethoscope;
(G) Standard electric clippers;
(H) An adequate supply of medical quality needles and syringes;
(I) Wyoming OSHA approved eye wash station;
(J) Holding cages/crates; and
(K) A cabinet, table, or workbench where the drug, needle, and syringe can be placed. This surface shall be separate from the area where the animal is being handled;
(b) All equipment shall be in good working order and stored so that it does not create a safety hazard for the personnel.
(c) Handling of Euthanasia Drugs. All approved euthanasia drugs shall be prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions.
(i) All approved euthanasia drugs shall be stored according to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Regulations;
(ii) Animal euthanasia technicians shall maintain the following records:
(A) Shipment records showing receipt of the approved euthanasia drugs including all information required by federal law, the date the shipment was received, the amount received, the source, and the invoice number;
(B) Administration records showing the date an approved drug was administered, species of animal, dosage of drug administered for euthanasia, and identification of the person who administered the approved drug. This information shall be recorded in a record book, that has sequentially numbered non-removable pages;
(C) Records of euthanizing drug waste signed by the person administering the approved euthanasia drugs;
(D) A weekly record of the approved drugs on hand, less the amount withdrawn for application;
(E) Disposal records of any expired or unwanted approved euthanasia drugs;
(iii) All records shall be filed in chronological order and be kept for a period of three (3) years from the last calendar date on the record.
(d) Ethical Standards. The protection of the public health, safety, and welfare and the best interest of the public shall be the primary guide in determining the appropriate professional conduct of persons whose activities are regulated by the Board. The following ethical standards are adopted and incorporated herein by the Board. Persons certified by the Board shall:
(i) Abide by all laws and regulations related to the euthanasia and disposal of unwanted, sick, injured, or dangerous animals.
(ii) Ensure that all animals entrusted into their care for euthanasia are:
(A) Treated in the appropriate humane manner; and
(B) Euthanized in a humane manner consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia.
(iii) Keep current on the latest approved methods of euthanasia;
(iv) Ensure that all animals euthanized will be euthanized according to Board-approved methods;
(v) Ensure that needless and undue suffering will be avoided when euthanizing an animal;
(vi) Ensure that once the euthanasia is completed, the animal does in fact die. If additional euthanasia drug is needed to insure death, it shall be administered.
Section 10. Carcass Disposal. Animal euthanasia technicians shall store and dispose of animal carcasses in a manner according to law and facility procedures.