Legislation designed to enhance access to professional animal care was introduced by the Ontario government today.
The Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act will pave the way to "formalizing the broad scope of practice for veterinary technicians that could result in an expanded role," according to a news release. "The legislation would also streamline the complaints resolution process and increase penalties for actions that intentionally harm an animal."
“Continued access to safe and professional care is critical for pet owners and farmers which is why we are proposing to modernize the 35-year-old legislative framework regulating the veterinary profession,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture. “This bill is designed to enable better access to veterinary services, recognize the important role of veterinary technicians, improve oversight of the profession, and increase quality assurance through measures like continuing education.”
The proposed new legislation should provide several important benefits, including:
- Enabling the creation of a formal scope of practice for veterinary technicians that would allow them to perform to the full potential of their training and expertise.
- New requirements for continuing education, similar to other regulated professions.
- An improved complaints resolution process to allow disputes to be addressed more quickly.
- Increased penalties to better reflect the seriousness of actions that could harm animals.
- Ensuring more public representation on the council of the regulatory college overseeing veterinary professionals to bring broader perspectives.
The government is expanding veterinary capacity in underserviced areas of Ontario through the Veterinary Incentive Program which provides up to $50,000 for up to 100 recently licensed veterinarians who locate in an underserviced area to provide care to livestock and poultry in these communities.
The government is also working to increase access to veterinary care by providing $14.7 million over two years to create 20 new veterinary school spaces each year.
"This is a historic moment for Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs), and I am so proud of the work we have done together with Minister Thompson to get here," said Kirsti Clarida, President, Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians. "This new legislation will expand the scope of practice for RVTs, positioning Ontario as a future-ready leader in the regulation of veterinary medicine by enabling RVTs to participate in team-based veterinary care to the full extent of their abilities and training. We look forward to continuing to work with the Ontario government to grow our profession."
