OFA has provided comments to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness through their consultation process on proposed amendments to the Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024.

OFA supports the proposed amendments to the Act, and emphasizes the need for a flexible, practical regulatory framework that reflects the realities of rural and agricultural veterinary care.

OFA recommendations include:

• Avoid unnecessary burden or limitations on mobile, on-farm, mixed-animal, and large-animal veterinary practices.
• Support flexible accreditation approaches that accommodate mobile, emergency, and non-traditional veterinary service delivery models.
• Clearly define ancillary services to avoid unintended administrative costs or reduced access to services for livestock and mixed-animal practices.
• Apply inspection powers in a risk-based and biosecurity-conscious manner, particularly where veterinary facilities are located on farms or integrated into agricultural operations.
• Pair regulatory modernization with investments in veterinary access, including support for rural recruitment, large-animal veterinary education, mobile practice models, veterinary assistance programs, and pathways for foreign-trained veterinarians.

OFA stresses that modernization efforts should improve access to veterinary care, support animal welfare and food security, and address ongoing veterinary workforce shortages across rural Ontario.