(a) On or before January 1, 2017, an animal shelter shall establish a written veterinary care protocol for dogs and cats that is consistent with guidelines set forth in the most recent Association of Shelter Veterinarians' Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters with respect to: (1) Basic care; (2) Sanitation; (3) Population management; (4) Disease control and prevention; (5) Behavioral health and mental well-being; and (6) Euthanasia. (b) The written veterinary care protocol shall include: (1) Standards that are necessary to protect sheltered dogs' and cats' health, safety, and well-being; and (2) A plan for: (i) Quality of life enrichment; (ii) Veterinary care; (iii) Prevention and control of contagious and other diseases; and (iv) Any other health and environmental factors that materially affect sheltered dogs' and cats' health, safety, and well-being. (c) An animal shelter may disregard its written veterinary care protocol for a dog or cat that is deemed to be too vicious or dangerous to permit safe handling. (d) An animal shelter shall update its written veterinary care protocol as necessary to reasonably accommodate any subsequent updates to the Association of Shelter Veterinarians' Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters. (e) On request, an animal shelter shall make its written veterinary care protocol available to the public and the Department.
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