Veterinary Surgeons (Registration)
VETERINARY SURGEONS (REGISTRATION) ACT

CHAPTER 67:04

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Act
8 of 1930

Amended by
19 of 1955
5 of 1963

Current Authorised Pages
Pages Authorised

(inclusive) by L.R.O.
1–9 ..

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LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

2 Chap. 67:04 Veterinary Surgeons (Registration)

Note on Subsidiary Legislation
This Chapter contains no subsidiary legislation.

Note on Adaptation
1. Certain fees in this Chapter were increased by the Commission under paragraph 4 of

the Second Schedule to the Law Revision Act (Ch. 3:03). Where this occurs, a marginal
reference in the form normally indicating an amendment is made to LN 51/1980 (the Legal
Notice by which the President’s approval was signified).

2. Under paragraph 6 of the Second Schedule to the Law Revision Act (Ch. 3:03) the
Commission amended certain references to public officers in this Chapter. The Minister’s
approval of the amendments was signified by LN 52/1980, but no marginal reference is made
to this Notice where any such amendment is made in the text.

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Veterinary Surgeons (Registration) Chap. 67:04 3

CHAPTER 67:04

VETERINARY SURGEONS (REGISTRATION) ACT

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
SECTION

1. Short title.
2. Interpretation.
3. Constitution of the Board.
4. Unregistered persons not to have title of Veterinary Surgeon.
5. Restriction of practise of veterinary surgery by unqualified persons.
6. Use of descriptions as to professional status.
7. Qualifications necessary for registration.
8. Keeping of Register and publication.
9. Registration of persons in Veterinary Surgeons Register.

10. Evidence of registration.
11. Erasing name from Register of Veterinary Surgeon guilty of crime or

disgraceful conduct.
12. Name may be restored to Register.
13. Correction of Register.
14. Penalty for obtaining registration by false representation.

FIRST SCHEDULE.
SECOND SCHEDULE.

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LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

4 Chap. 67:04 Veterinary Surgeons (Registration)

CHAPTER 67:04

VETERINARY SURGEONS (REGISTRATION) ACT

An Act to make provis ion for the registration of
Veterinary Surgeons.

[2ND JUNE 1939]

1. This Act may be cited as the Veterinary Surgeons
(Registration) Act.

2. In this Act—
“Board” means the Veterinary Surgeons Registration Board

constituted under section 3;
“Register” means the Register of Veterinary Surgeons required to

be kept under this Act;
“secretary” means such person as may from time to time be

appointed by the Board to be secretary to the Board;
“veterinary surgery’’ means the art and science of veterinary

surgery and medicine.

3. There is hereby constituted for the purposes of this Act a
body, to be called the Veterinary Surgeons Registration Board
consisting of—

(a) the Technical Officer (Animal Health) who is
ex officio chairman of the Board; and

(b) two persons eligible to be registered under section
7 (a) or (b) to be appointed from time to time by
the Minister.

4. No person shall be entitled to take or use the name or title
of Veterinary Surgeon (either alone or in combination with any
other word or words), or any name, title, addition or description,
implying that he is registered under this Act, or that he is a person
specially qualified to practise veterinary surgery, unless he is
registered under this Act.

1950 Ed.
Ch. 25 No. 1.
8 of 1930.

Commencement.

Short title.

Interpretation.
[19 of 1955
5 of 1963].

Constitution of
the Board.
[5 of 1963].

Unregistered
persons not to
have title of
Veterinary
Surgeon.

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Veterinary Surgeons (Registration) Chap. 67:04 5

5. (1) No person shall practise, or hold himself out as
practising or as being prepared to practise, veterinary surgery unless
he is registered in the Register.

(2) In this section “veterinary surgery” shall not include—
(a) the doing of anything specified in Part I of the

First Schedule and not excluded by Part II of
that Schedule;

(b) any minor treatment, test or operation specified
by Order of the Minister made after consultation
with the Board, so long as any conditions
specified in the Order are complied with.

(3) Any person who contravenes this section is liable on
summary conviction to a fine of two thousand dollars.

6. (1) If any person who is not for the time being registered
in the Register takes or uses the title of veterinary surgeon or any
name, title, addition or description calculated to lead to the belief
that he is registered in the Register, he is guilty of an offence.

(2) If any person who is not for the time being registered
in the Register takes or uses the title of veterinary practitioner or
any name, title, addition or description calculated to lead to the
belief that he is a practitioner of, or qualified to practise, veterinary
surgery to any greater extent than is authorised by or under
section 5(2), he is guilty of an offence.

(3) Without prejudice, in the case of an individual, to the
foregoing provisions of this section, if any person uses any
description in connection with any business carried on by him or
on any premises at which such a business is carried on, being in
either case a description calculated to lead to the belief that he or
any person acting for the purposes of the business possesses any
veterinary qualifications which he does not in fact possess, he is
guilty of an offence.

(4) Any person guilty of an offence under this section is
liable on summary conviction to a fine of two thousand dollars.

Restriction of
practise of
veterinary
surgery by
unqualified
persons.
[19 of 1955].

Parts I, II, First
Schedule.

Use of
descriptions as
to professional
status.
[19 of 1955].

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6 Chap. 67:04 Veterinary Surgeons (Registration)

7. Any person who—
(a) is registered or entitled by law to be registered as

a Veterinary Surgeon in the United Kingdom
under any Act for the time being in force;

(b) holds a certificate granted in a Commonwealth
or foreign country, for the time being
recognised by the Board as furnishing a
sufficient guarantee of the possession of
requisite knowledge and skill for the efficient
practise of veterinary surgery; or

(c) has been at the commencement of this Act bona
fide engaged in Trinidad and Tobago in the
practice of veterinary surgery for a period of not
less than three years,

shall, on payment of a fee of fifty dollars, and subject to section 9,
be eligible to be registered under this Act.

8. (1) The secretary shall keep a Register, in the form
contained in the Second Schedule, to be styled the Veterinary
Surgeons Register, of all persons registered as Veterinary Surgeons
under this Act.

(2) The secretary, in the month of February in each year,
shall publish in the Gazette a copy of the Register.

9. (1) Where any person desires to be registered under this Act,
he shall make application to the secretary, and shall submit such
evidence as shall satisfy the Board that he is eligible to be registered
under section 7 and that he is a fit and proper person to be so registered.

(2) The secretary shall forthwith lay the application before
the Board, and the Board, if satisfied that the person is eligible and
is a fit and proper person to be registered, shall direct the secretary
to register the person.

(3) The secretary shall thereupon register such person and
publish notice thereof in the Gazette.

Qualifications
necessary for
registration.
[51/1980].

Keeping of
Register and
publication.
[19 of 1955].
Second
Schedule.

Registration of
persons in
Veterinary
Surgeons
Register.

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Veterinary Surgeons (Registration) Chap. 67:04 7

(4) If the Board declines to direct the secretary to register
any person who applies to be registered, the person may appeal to
the Minister, and, if it is made to appear to the Minister that the
person is entitled to be registered under this Act, the Minister may
direct that the person shall be so registered.

10. A copy of the Register for the time being published in the
Gazette, in accordance with the provisions of section 8(2), shall
be evidence in all cases (until the contrary be made to appear) that
the persons therein specified are registered under this Act, and the
absence of the name of any person from such copy shall be evidence
(until the contrary be made to appear) that such person is not
registered under this Act. However, in the case of a person whose
name does not appear in the copy, a certified copy under the hand
of the secretary of the entry of the name of the person in the Register
shall be evidence that the person is registered under this Act.

11. If any Veterinary Surgeon registered under this Act is
convicted of an offence before the High Court or, after due inquiry,
is adjudged by the Board to have been guilty of infamous or
disgraceful conduct in any professional respect, the Board, with
the sanction of the Minister, may cause the name of the Veterinary
Surgeon to be erased from the Register.

12. If the Board thinks fit, it may in any case, with the sanction
of the Minister, direct any name erased from the Register to be
restored thereon on the payment of such fee, not exceeding the
registration fee, as the Board may fix.

13. (1) The secretary shall from time to time insert in the
Register any alteration which may come to his knowledge in the
name or address of any person registered.

(2) The secretary shall erase from the Register the name
of every deceased person.

(3) The secretary may erase from the Register the name
of a person who has ceased to practise or who has been continually

Evidence of
registration.

Erasing name
from Register of
Veterinary
Surgeon guilty
of crime or
disgraceful
conduct.

Name may be
restored to
Register.

Correction of
Register.

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LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

8 Chap. 67:04 Veterinary Surgeons (Registration)

absent from Trinidad and Tobago for the space of three years; and
any person whose name has been so erased shall, on resuming
practice or returning to Trinidad and Tobago, be entitled to have
his name restored to the Register without the payment of any fee.

(4) In the execution of his duties, the secretary shall act
on such evidence as in each case appears sufficient.

14. Any person who wilfully procures or attempts to procure
himself to be registered under this Act by making or producing, or
causing to be made or produced, any false or fraudulent
representation or declaration, either verbally or in writing, and any
person aiding or assisting him therein is liable on conviction on
indictment to a fine of two thousand dollars or to imprisonment
for twelve months.

FIRST SCHEDULE
EXEMPTIONS FROM RESTRICTIONS ON PRACTICE

OF VETERINARY SURGERY
PART I

TREATMENT AND OPERATIONS WHICH MAY BE GIVEN OR
CARRIED OUT BY UNQUALIFIED PERSONS

1. Any treatment given to an animal by the owner thereof.

2. The rendering in an emergency of first aid for the purpose of saving
life or relieving pain.

3. The destruction of an animal by painless methods.

4. The performance of any of the following operations:
(a) castration or caponising of any animal other than a horse, pony,

ass or mule;
(b) the docking of the tail of a dog before its eyes are open;
(c) the amputation of the dew claws of a dog before its eyes

are open.
Nothing in this paragraph shall authorise the performance of any operation

by a person under the age of eighteen.

Penalty for
obtaining
registration by
false
representation.
[19 of 1955].

Section 5(2).
[19 of 1955].

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Veterinary Surgeons (Registration) Chap. 67:04 9

PART II

EXCLUSIONS FROM PROVISION OF PART I

Nothing in section 5(2)(a) of this Act shall authorise the castration of any
animal mentioned in the first column of the following Table after it has reached
the age shown in the second column thereof:

Animal Age

Bull … … … … 6 months
Goat … … … … 3 months
Sheep … … … … 3 months
Boar … … … … 3 months
Dog … … … … 3 months
Cat … … … … 3 months

SECOND SCHEDULE

FORM OF VETERINARY SURGEONS REGISTER

Name Qualification Date of RegistrationResidence

Section 8.
[19 of 1955].

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