Section 1846.5 - Postmortem Examination(a) The following shall be required to undergo a postmortem examination at a diagnostic laboratory which is under contract with the Board in order to determine the injury or sickness which resulted in euthanasia or natural death: (1) Every horse which suffers a fatal injury on the racetrack in training or in competition;(2) Every horse which dies or is euthanized within an area under the jurisdiction of the Board; and(3) Every horse which dies or is euthanized in California within 72 hours of leaving a facility under the jurisdiction of the Board.(b) Test samples may be obtained from the carcass upon which the postmortem examination is to be conducted and sent to the diagnostic laboratory for testing for foreign substances or their metabolites, and natural substances at abnormal levels. When practical, test samples shall be procured prior to euthanasia.(c) The costs associated with transportation to the diagnostic laboratory of any horse which has died under the provisions of subparagraph (a) shall be the responsibility of the racetrack conducting the meeting where the death occurred or the training center or racetrack where death occurred when no meeting is in progress. In the case of a horse which dies or is euthanized in California within 72 hours of leaving a facility under the jurisdiction of the Board, the costs associated with transportation to the diagnostic laboratory shall be the responsibility of the racetrack or training center where the horse was last stabled immediately prior to the time of death. The services of the official veterinarian and the laboratory testing of postmortem samples for standard necropsy and special equine necropsy examinations shall be made available by the Board without charge to the owner. The cost of any additional necropsy examination(s) requested by the owner or trainer are the responsibility of the requesting individual.(d) Requests for each postmortem shall be filed with the official veterinarian by the owner's or trainer's veterinarian within one hour of the death and shall be submitted on a Necropsy Submission Form, CHRB-72, (Rev. 6/04), hereby incorporated by reference, and which is available at all official veterinarian offices. The trainer is co-responsible to supply all information to complete CHRB-72. In the case of a horse which dies or is euthanized in California within 72 hours of leaving a facility under the jurisdiction of the Board, a request for postmortem shall be filed with the official veterinarian within one hour of the death and the request shall be submitted on CHRB-72 which is available at all official veterinarian offices. The trainer is responsible for the timely submission of CHRB-72 to the extent that the trainer exercised care and control at the time of death. The owner is co-responsible to supply all information to complete and file CHRB-72.(e) If the official veterinarian is not available, the owner's or trainer's veterinarian must phone the diagnostic laboratory within one hour of the death and fax or email CHRB-72 to the laboratory as notification that the horse is due for necropsy. On the official veterinarian's next scheduled work day, the owner's or trainer's veterinarian shall give the original CHRB-72 to the official veterinarian. In the case of a horse which dies or is euthanized in California within 72 hours of leaving a facility under the jurisdiction of the Board, the owner or trainer must phone the diagnostic laboratory within one hour of death and fax or email CHRB-72 to the laboratory as notification that the horse is due for necropsy. The owner or trainer shall give the original CHRB-72 to the official veterinarian on the official veterinarian's next scheduled work day at the racetrack or training center that last stabled the horse immediately prior to the time of death.(f) The racetrack or training center will notify the transporter within one hour of death to have the horse conveyed to the designated laboratory for necropsy.(g) Upon completion of the postmortem examination, the diagnostic laboratory shall file a written report with the Executive Director, the Equine Medical Director and the official veterinarian. Upon written request, the Board shall release an unredacted copy of the report to the racetrack or training center where the horse was last stabled immediately prior to the time of death.(h) Each owner and trainer accepts responsibility for the postmortem examination provided herein as a requisite for maintaining an occupational license.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 4, § 1846.5
Note: Authority cited: Section 19440, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Section 19444(c), Business and Professions Code.
Note: Authority cited: Section 19440, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Section 19444(c), Business and Professions Code.
1. New section filed 10-29-81; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 81, No. 44).
2. Amendment filed 11-10-92; operative 12-10-92 (Register 92, No. 46).
3. Change without regulatory effect amending subsections (a) and (g) filed 6-7-94 pursuant to title 1, section 100, California Code of Regulations (Register 94, No. 23).
4. Amendment of subsections (a)-(f) filed 8-11-95; operative 9-10-95 (Register 95, No. 32).
5. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (d) filed 7-6-98 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 98, No. 28).
6. Change without regulatory effect amending subsections (d)-(e) filed 4-25-2000 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2000, No. 17).
7. Amendment filed 11-29-2004; operative 12-29-2004 (Register 2004, No. 49).
8. Amendment filed 3-21-2024; operative 7/1/2024 (Register 2024, No. 12).