DENVER — A proposition on November's ballot could change who treats your pets. Colorado Proposition 129 will ask voters whether the state should establish the position of a veterinary professional associate.
What could this mean for the future of pet healthcare? Will Proposition 129 help or harm pets? Colorado veterinarians are at odds over it. Proposition 129 would add a new career path in the veterinary profession.
“Prop 129 is creating a place in the veterinary practice act that will allow for someone with a master's degree in veterinary clinical care to practice veterinary medicine under the supervision of a veterinarian,” said Apryl Steele, a veterinarian and the President Dumb Friends League.
The Dumb Friends League, an animal welfare organization dedicated to ending pet homelessness and animal suffering, helped push Prop 129 onto the Colorado 2024 ballot. Steele is in support of Proposition 129.
“We receive about 60 animals a day from our community,” said Steele.
Currently in the veterinary profession, there are vet techs, vet tech specialists and veterinarians. Prop 129 would create the position called a veterinary professional associate or VPA. Steele said VPA’S would be similar to a veterinarian. They would be able to diagnose animals and perform surgeries.
“They could do, you know, wellness exams, vaccinations, heartworm tests. They could do hospice care, end of life care. We could have a VPA that does dental work all day, every day, and that is where a lot of practices are backed up,” said Steele.
Steele said a VPA would increase access to care for pets. She said since inflation has increased, so has the cost of treatments for pets. She said less people can afford to take care of their animals, she wants to change that.
“It's about affordability, it's about access. It's about getting to have someone there that is an expert that's trained that can treat your animal when it's sick or injured, or prevent it from getting sick and injured,” said Steele.
But state representative and veterinarian Karen McCormick is against this proposition.
“There's been, again, no studies that show a need for this, and the training that is proposed behind this seriously puts pets at danger,” said McCormick.
To become a veterinarian, people have to go through a four year doctorate program learning about every animal. But to become a VPA, people would go through a five semesters long, 63 credit program specifically studying cats and dogs. Completing those credits would earn you a master's degree in veterinary clinical care. Prop 129 would allow VPA’s to practice veterinary medicine under the supervision of a veterinarian.
“So, it's about two years shorter of a program,” Steele said.
McCormick is worried this proposition would not help, but harm pets.
“When you think about having to practice veterinary medicine and do surgery with that limited training, red flags go up all over the place in my head,” said McCormick.
Steele disagrees.
“But the facts are that these people are going to be very highly trained, and not having access to care is where the animals are suffering,” said Steele.
McCormick said there are already tools in place to help affordability and access to care right now.
House Bill 24-1048 and HB24-1047 were made into law this year. HB24-1048 allows pet owners to meet with vets through telehealth medicine and appointments. HB24-1047 expands the vet tech specialist job.
“We're talking about in the field of veterinary dentistry, euthanasias, things that take a lot of time in a practice where our vet techs and vet tech specialists can do those things,” said McCormick.
McCormick argues that vet tech specialties are already an established position that helps veterinarians.
“The better help and the faster help, and the help that will get the animals the care that they need in a way that they deserve, are the things that we just did...,” said McCormick.
Steele said the VPA position is needed.
"We need to safely increase access to care and Prop 129 does that,” said Steele.
McCormick worries the accreditation, education and training of these VPA’s could harm animals. She said there will be difficulties with VPA’s since they will be “tied” to the veterinarian.
Both Steele and McCormick said there is a veterinarian shortage in the state.
Steele said vet care is continuing to get more expensive. She said creating a VPA position through Proposition 129 will help increase access to care and affordability for pets to receive health care.
Whereas McCormick said, the two new bills passed this year and utilizing tech specialists will fix the issue and is a better way to help pets. Voters will make their decision on Proposition 129 in November.
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