(a) No veterinarian licensed under Chapter 50 of Title 43 shall be required to disclose any information concerning the veterinarian's care of an animal except on written authorization or other waiver by the veterinarian's client or on appropriate court order or subpoena. Any veterinarian releasing information under written authorization or other waiver by the client or under court order or subpoena shall not be liable to the client or any other person. The confidentiality provided by this Code section shall be waived to the extent that the veterinarian's client places the veterinarian's care and treatment of the animal or the nature and extent of injuries to the animal at issue in any judicial proceeding. As used in this Code section, the term 'client' means the owner of the animal or, if the owner of the animal is unknown, the person who presents the animal to the veterinarian for care and treatment.(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this Code section, a veterinarian shall disclose the rabies vaccination history of any animal within such veterinarian's care within 24 hours of receipt of a written request by the physician of any person bitten by such veterinarian shall disclose the rabies vaccination history of any animal within such veterinarian's care within 24 hours of receipt of a written request by the physician of any person bitten by such animal.Amended by 2018 Ga. Laws 456,§ 4, eff. 7/1/2018.Amended by 2018 Ga. Laws 456,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2018.Added by 2011 Ga. Laws 52,§ 2, eff. 1/1/2013.
Georgia Legal Code