Toronto, ON—Bill 171, Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act, has received Royal Assent and is now law in Ontario. This legislation is a significant, positive development in regulating and modernizing veterinary care for the benefit of animals, veterinary teams, and the public.
The new Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024 recognizes the critical role that RVTs play in the delivery of team-based veterinary care and enables RVTs to practice veterinary medicine to the fullest extent of their skills and training.
The OAVT, together with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) and the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), has been advocating for many years for modernizing the profession’s regulatory framework to reflect the current state of veterinary medicine.
“This is a significant and historic milestone for our profession and our community,” said Elise Wickett, OAVT Executive Director. “This Act creates a framework that recognizes the vital role of Registered Veterinary Technicians in animal healthcare. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the government and other stakeholders to implement this Act’s provisions and further elevate animal care standards in our province.”
Now that the bill has passed, regulations will be created to determine how the legislation will apply and be enforced. A transitional council, including RVTs and veterinarians, will work with the government to decide the details of the regulations. We expect the new regulatory framework, which will provide clear guidelines for RVTs’ scope of practice, to be in effect by 2026.
The OAVT is committed to sharing regular updates with members as the regulation process unfolds. OAVT members are invited to join a webinar on June 19th at 7 pm to learn more about the legislation and next steps. Click here to register.
For more information about legislative reform, including frequently asked questions, please visit www.oavt.org/reform.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Victoria Evans, Communications and Advocacy Manager