If you have pets you treasure, you’ll understand why California consumers are collecting petition signatures. There is a legislative proposal being driven by individuals outside of the veterinary profession winding its way through Sacramento that puts your pets at risk. It would allow physical therapists (PT) trained for human care to work on your animals -large and small-, without species-specific training and a veterinarian's active case management.

This means PTs could potentially provide wound care, advise therapy, set treatment plans, create splints, use casting material to create an orthosis, and more without in depth species-specific training. The Veterinary Medical Board (VMB) already has in place regulations defining what individuals shall provide such care and what training is required, and they are licensed by the VMB.

PTs do not have animal physiology, anatomy, behavior, or pain recognition training. Any such PT training programs that do exist provide less than a month of veterinary rehabilitation training in just one species (canine).

The proposal puts your pet’s safety at risk and leaves you with little recourse if something unfortunate happens to your pet under the care of a PT. You as a consumer would have no legal recourse or confidence such care is safe and appropriate for your animal. You may also be responsible for additional examinations or medical testing depending on how this legislation is proposed, increasing the cost of services.

If you agree that veterinarians must be liable for animal care and safety, please sign the petition with your name and zip code.

New York and Texas have these consumer and animal protections in place, with great success for consumers and their animals. Access to care there is not limited and services are not financially restrictive.
California needs these protections maintained as well! Using models from states that don't even require licensing of an individual to monitor your pet under anesthesia is inappropriate. The California VMB cares about the safety of your pet and so do you. The petition will be given to the California VMB for inclusion in its deliberations.

Thank you.
If you agree, please feel free to repost to spread the word."