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Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 686.440 (2026)

Immunity from civil liability for emergency treatment

✓ current as of May 2026
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      686.440 Immunity from civil liability for emergency treatment. (1) A veterinarian or veterinary technician is not civilly liable for the acts or omissions described in subsection (2) of this section if:

      (a) The animal has been brought to the veterinarian or veterinary technician by a person other than the owner of the animal; and

      (b) The veterinarian or veterinary technician does not know who owns the animal or is unable to contact an owner of the animal before a decision must be made with respect to emergency treatment or euthanasia.

      (2) The immunity granted by this section applies to:

      (a) Any injury to an animal or death of an animal that results from acts or omissions of the veterinarian or veterinary technician in providing treatment to the animal; and

      (b) The euthanasia of a seriously injured or seriously ill animal.

      (3) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, this section does not apply to any act or omission of a veterinarian or veterinary technician that constitutes gross negligence in providing treatment to an animal.

      (4) A veterinarian is completely immune from any civil liability for the decision to euthanize an animal under the circumstances described in subsection (1) of this section. [1997 c.243 §2]

 

REPORTING OBLIGATIONS

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 1 case (1 in the last 5 years), 2022–2022 · leading case: State v. Phillips, 503 P.3d 1282 (Or. Ct. App. 2022).
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State v. Phillips, 503 P.3d 1282 (Or. Ct. App. 2022). “For example, the state points to ORS 686.440, which provides civil immunity for a veterinarian who decides to euthanize “a seriously injured or seriously ill animal,” but only if the veterinarian “does not know who owns the ani- mal or is unable to contact an owner of the animal…”
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