GUELPH, ON – The Transition Council has completed its regulatory concept work and will be sending its recommendations to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agri-business (OMAFA) for consideration in the coming weeks. On the whole, the concepts facilitate the delivery of veterinary medicine by professionals within a modernized framework, and this is something to celebrate. Our profession is seeing some major gains and increased recognition which is a big win for RVTs. However, the OAVT is very disappointed by the Transition Council’s decision to rescind an exemption that would allow some Registered Veterinary Technician-owned direct-access businesses to continue to operate under the Veterinary Professionals Act (VPA) without hiring a veterinarian to hold the facility accreditation and serve as a facility director.
In its agenda package for the August 11, 2025, Transition Council meeting, the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) indicated that the about-face was the result of “further staff analysis” and “additional legal perspectives” that raised concerns about the sufficiency of regulatory oversight of RVT-run businesses and whether the public is truly protected. The OAVT fully supports rigorous oversight of all veterinary facilities and believes that goal can still be achieved.
Upon reading about the reversal in the Transition Council meeting package, the OAVT sent a letter to the Chair of the Transition Council and the CVO senior leadership expressing our disappointment, reminding council members of precedents in other professions and of their own previous discussions about the importance of these exemptions for the public and RVTs. We urged the Transition Council to reconsider the motion and provide RVT entrepreneurs with an exemption to allow them to operate. We appreciate the CVO’s efforts to make council members aware of that letter despite it being sent outside of a consultation period and having not been included in the package materials.
As we’ve reported previously, at the heart of this issue is Section 22 of the Act which prohibits authorized activities from being performed outside an accredited facility and limits facility accreditation to veterinarian members of the new College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario (CVPO).
During its meeting on Monday, August 11, the Transition Council was told there are only “10-12” RVTs operating businesses in the province. This is a gross misrepresentation of the true landscape of RVT-owned businesses. During a recent focus group, the OAVT connected with 52 such business owners and believes even that number to be a significant undercount of the true picture.
The council was also told that there was not enough data to make a decision at this time, and more research needed to be done into the number of businesses operating in the province and the nature of the work they do. We agree that data informed decision making is prudent. Research has been conducted and shared by the OAVT, but was not addressed in this context.
The OAVT raised this issue informally in conversations with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario on numerous occasions, and formally in many others
- During the initial consultations on the VPA, Spring 2023.
- During presentation to the Standing Commitee hearing, April 22, 2024
- In a briefing note sent to the Transition Council and drafted with expert legal advice on September 10, 2024
- In an additional and similar briefing note drafted December 18, 2024 also with legal advice.
- Submission to Transition Council regulation concepts consultation April 16, 2025
During consultations on the draft regulatory concepts, there was strong public support for RVT-owned businesses to be permitted to operate in the province, yet it was suggested to the Transition Council that “removal” of the exemption is the direction forward. Rest assured; our advocacy is far from over. As recently as August 7, OAVT staff met with staff at OMAFA on the issue and will be ever present throughout their consultation process. With the Transition Council work completed, we’re now looking ahead to public consultation work by the ministry.
In the coming days, we will be inviting you to join our advocacy efforts. Please monitor your inboxes for instructions on how you can join the fight to save RVT businesses. In the meantime, remember the significant progress our profession has made in just the last few years and what we may yet accomplish in the future.