Official Veterinarian

General Authority. The official veterinarian shall: (a) be employed by the Commission; (b) be a graduate veterinarian and be licensed to practice in this jurisdiction; (c) recommend to the judges any horse deemed unsafe to be raced, or a horse that it would be inhumane to allow to race; (d) place horses on the Veterinarian's List, when necessary, and remove horses from the Veterinarian's List; (e) place horses on the Furosemide List and remove horses from the Furosemide List; (f) maintain a continuing health and racing soundness record of each horse given a racing soundness inspection; (g) have the authority to supervise and control the Test Barn; (h) supervise the taking of all specimens for testing according to procedures approved by the Commission; (i) provide proper safeguards in the handling of all laboratory specimens to prevent tampering, confusion or contamination; (j) have authority and jurisdiction over the racing veterinarian and the practicing licensed veterinarians on the association grounds for the purpose of 205 CMR 3.00; (k) report to the Commission the names of all horses humanely destroyed or which otherwise expire at the race meeting and the reasons therefore; NON-TEXT PAGE (l) maintain all required records of postmortem necropsy examinations performed on horses which have died on association grounds; (m) refrain from directly treating or prescribing for any horse scheduled to participate during the official veterinarian's term of appointment at any recognized race meeting except in cases of emergency, accident or injury; (n) refuse employment or payment, directly or indirectly, from any owner or trainer of a horse racing or intending to race in this jurisdiction while employed as the official veterinarian for the Commission; (o) review and make recommendations regarding Commission license applications of practicing veterinarians; (p) cooperate with practicing veterinarians and other regulatory agencies regarding medication issues and to take measures to control communicable and/or reportable equine diseases; (q) periodically review all horse papers under the jurisdiction of the Commission to ensure that all required test and health certificates are current and properly filed in accordance with 205 CMR 3.24(2)(c); (r) be authorized to humanely destroy any horse deemed to be so seriously injured that it is in the best interests of the horse to so act; and (s) provide the judges with a written statement regarding the nature and seriousness of all laboratory reports of prohibited substances in equine samples.