On April 22, 2024, OFA’s President Drew Spoelstra spoke in support of Bill 171, Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act, to the Standing Committee on the Interior.

OFA applauded the Ontario government for recognizing that modern-day veterinary care is delivered using a team-based approach. Veterinarians are essential for the well-being of animals, and protect the safety of the public and Ontario’s agri-food system. Veterinary services are limited in rural Ontario, posing risks to farm animals, rural communities, and the food system. The proposed Act works to improve access to veterinary care, and clarify the role of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other individuals in providing care to Ontario’s livestock and poultry.

Bill 171 explicitly acknowledges the role of veterinary technicians in the delivery of veterinary medicine and formally brings them within the scope of professional oversight, allowing them to utilize their training and skills to their full potential.

Additional provisions in the Bill, such as continuing education, formal quality assurance programming, streamlining the complaints resolutions process, and increasing penalties for actions that intentionally harm an animal were supported by OFA.

To ensure an agricultural perspective is included in decision-making and policy development, OFA recommended broadening the composition of the College Council to include mandatory large-animal veterinarian representation, and a member from an agricultural organization.

OFA supported the provision that animal owners, their household members, employees, and caregivers continue to be able to provide treatment to their own animals, with additional exceptions from the Act for certain common livestock practices. OFA requested to be included in discussions surrounding regulation development, which will provide more detail as to activities able to be delegated by a veterinarian to a technician or other trained individual.

OFA reiterated that the shortage in the veterinary workforce is a complex issue requiring a multi-faceted approach and recommended short and long-term strategies to help address the lack of veterinary capacity in Ontario.

The proposed legislation is critical to addressing the longstanding issue of accessing timely veterinary care in Ontario. Livestock and poultry producers, especially those in underserviced areas of Ontario, stand to benefit greatly from provisions outlined in Bill 171.