Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement



 Exhibit 10.9 
 NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT 
 FOR COMPANY EMPLOYEES 
 UNDER THE ANIMAL HEALTH INTERNATIONAL, INC. 
 2007 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN 
 Name of Optionee: _______________________________ 
 No. of Option Shares: _____________________________ 
 Option Exercise Price
per Share: $___________________ 
 Grant Date: _____________________________________ 
 Expiration Date: _________________________________ 
 Pursuant to the Animal Health International, Inc. 2007
Stock Option and Incentive Plan as amended through the date hereof (the “Plan”), Animal Health International, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby grants to the Optionee named above an option (the “Stock Option”) to purchase on
or prior to the Expiration Date specified above all or part of the number of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Stock”), of the Company specified above at the Option Exercise Price per Share specified above subject to
the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan. 
 1. Exercisability Schedule. No portion of this Stock Option may be
exercised until such portion shall have become exercisable. Except as set forth below, and subject to the discretion of the Administrator (as defined in the Plan) to accelerate the exercisability schedule hereunder, this Stock Option shall be
exercisable with respect to the following number of Option Shares on the dates indicated: 
  

					
	 Incremental Number of
 Option Shares Exercisable
	  	 Exercisability Date

	__________________	 	 (___%)
	  	__________________
	__________________	 	 (___%)
	  	__________________
	__________________	 	 (___%)
	  	__________________
	__________________	 	 (___%)
	  	__________________
	__________________	 	 (___%)
	  	__________________

 Once exercisable, this Stock Option shall continue to be exercisable at any time or times prior to
the close of business on the Expiration Date, subject to the provisions hereof and of the Plan. 







 2. Manner of Exercise. 
 (a) The Optionee may exercise this Stock Option only in the following manner: from time to time on or prior to the Expiration Date of this
Stock Option, the Optionee may give written notice to the Administrator of his or her election to purchase some or all of the Option Shares purchasable at the time of such notice. This notice shall specify the number of Option Shares to be
purchased. 
 Payment of the purchase price for the Option Shares may be made by one or more of the following methods: (i) in cash, by
certified or bank check or other instrument acceptable to the Administrator; (ii) through the delivery (or attestation to the ownership) of shares of Stock that have been purchased by the Optionee on the open market or that are beneficially
owned by the Optionee and are not then subject to any restrictions under any Company plan and that otherwise satisfy any holding periods as may be required by the Administrator; (iii) by the Optionee delivering to the Company a properly
executed exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker to promptly deliver to the Company cash or a check payable and acceptable to the Company to pay the option purchase price, provided that in the event the Optionee chooses to
pay the option purchase price as so provided, the Optionee and the broker shall comply with such procedures and enter into such agreements of indemnity and other agreements as the Administrator shall prescribe as a condition of such payment
procedure; or (iv) a combination of (i), (ii) and (iii) above. Payment instruments will be received subject to collection. 
 The transfer to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent of the Option Shares will be contingent upon the Company’s receipt from the Optionee of full payment for the Option Shares, as set forth above and any
agreement, statement or other evidence that the Company may require to satisfy itself that the issuance of Stock to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of Stock Options under the Plan and any subsequent resale of the shares of Stock will be in
compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In the event the Optionee chooses to pay the purchase price by previously-owned shares of Stock through the attestation method, the number of shares of Stock transferred to the Optionee upon the
exercise of the Stock Option shall be net of the Shares attested to. 
 (b) The shares of Stock purchased upon exercise of
this Stock Option shall be transferred to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent upon compliance to the satisfaction of the Administrator with all requirements under applicable laws or regulations in connection with such
issuance and with the requirements hereof and of the Plan. The determination of the Administrator as to such compliance shall be final and binding on the Optionee. The Optionee shall not be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of
a holder with respect to, any shares of Stock subject to this Stock Option unless and until this Stock Option shall have been exercised pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company or the transfer agent shall have transferred the shares to the
Optionee, and the Optionee’s name shall have been entered as the stockholder of record on the books of the Company. Thereupon, the Optionee shall have full voting, dividend and other ownership rights with respect to such shares of Stock.

 (c) The minimum number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option may be exercised at any one time shall be 100
shares, unless the number of shares with respect to 

  

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which this Stock Option is being exercised is the total number of shares subject to exercise under this Stock Option at the time. 
 (d) Notwithstanding any other provision hereof or of the Plan, no portion of this Stock Option shall be exercisable after the Expiration Date hereof.

 3. Termination of Employment. If the Optionee’s employment by the Company or a Subsidiary (as defined in the Plan) is
terminated, the period within which to exercise the Stock Option may be subject to earlier termination as set forth below. 
 (a) Termination Due to Death. If the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of the Optionee’s death, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date shall become fully exercisable and may thereafter be
exercised by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee for a period of 12 months from the date of death or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. 
 (b) Termination Due to Disability. If the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of the Optionee’s disability (as determined by the Administrator), any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on
such date shall become fully exercisable and may thereafter be exercised by the Optionee for a period of 12 months from the date of termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. 
 (c) Termination for Cause. If the Optionee’s employment terminates for Cause, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on
such date shall terminate immediately and be of no further force and effect. For purposes hereof, “Cause” shall mean, unless otherwise provided in an employment agreement between the Company and the Optionee, a determination by the
Administrator that the Optionee shall be dismissed as a result of (i) any material breach by the Optionee of any agreement between the Optionee and the Company; (ii) the conviction of, indictment for or plea of nolo contendere by the
Optionee to a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude; or (iii) any material misconduct or willful and deliberate non-performance (other than by reason of disability) by the Optionee of the Optionee’s duties to the Company. 

(d) Other Termination. If the Optionee’s employment terminates for any reason other than the Optionee’s death, the
Optionee’s disability or Cause, and unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date may be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of termination, for a period of three months
from the date of termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. Any portion of this Stock Option that is not exercisable on the date of termination shall terminate immediately and be of no further force or effect. 
 The Administrator’s determination of the reason for termination of the Optionee’s employment shall be conclusive and binding on the Optionee
and his or her representatives or legatees. 
 4. Incorporation of Plan. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Stock
Option shall be subject to and governed by all the terms and conditions of the Plan, including the powers of the Administrator set forth in Section 2(b) of the Plan. Capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning specified in the
Plan, unless a different meaning is specified herein. 
  

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 5. Transferability. This Agreement is personal to the Optionee, is non-assignable and is not
transferable in any manner, by operation of law or otherwise, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. This Stock Option is exercisable, during the Optionee’s lifetime, only by the Optionee, and thereafter, only by the
Optionee’s legal representative or legatee. 
 6. Tax Withholding. The Optionee shall, not later than the date as of which the
exercise of this Stock Option becomes a taxable event for Federal income tax purposes, pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Administrator for payment of any Federal, state, and local taxes required by law to be withheld on
account of such taxable event. The Optionee may elect to have the minimum required tax withholding obligation satisfied, in whole or in part, by authorizing the Company to withhold from shares of Stock to be issued. 
 7. No Obligation to Continue Employment. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is obligated by or as a result of the Plan or this Agreement to
continue the Optionee in employment and neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment of the Optionee at any time. 
 8. Notices. Notices hereunder shall be mailed or delivered to the Company at its principal place of business and shall be mailed or delivered to
the Optionee at the address on file with the Company or, in either case, at such other address as one party may subsequently furnish to the other party in writing. 
  

			
	ANIMAL HEALTH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
		
	By:	 	  
		 	Title:


 The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted and the terms and conditions thereof hereby agreed to by the
undersigned. 
  

									
					
	Dated:	 	  	 		 		 	  
		 		 		 		 	Optionee’s Signature
					
		 		 		 		 	Optionee’s name and address:
					
		 		 		 		 	  
					
		 		 		 		 	  
					
		 		 		 		 	  

  

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