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Animal Massage Laws in Canada may Impact the U.S.

By Lloyd R. Manning 

Despite proven benefits, all does not auger well for the Alberta, Canada animal massage therapists. The Alberta Veterinary Medical Association has been lobbying the legislature to enact a statute that will prohibit all nonveterinarians from providing nonprescriptive medication to animals for a fee. Because the present law is too loose to prohibit such activities the vets lost three court cases to bar an equine dentist from practicing his profession (AVMA v Pequin 2002- ABQB 848). Although neither equine dentists nor massage therapists are singled out, their intent is clear—to get nonveterinarians out of the business of practicing what they deem to be veterinary medicine.

If you are wondering why American therapists would be concerned with what some provincial government in Canada says about anything, just think that in drafting legislation all state and provincial governments look at what other governments are doing and courts are saying. For example, a precedent the Alberta vets used in their case was State of Nebraska v Jeffery (1994) 247 Neb.100.

Glen Weir, DVM, a retired veterinarian, thinks it’s all about the vets losing revenue. Richard Starke, DVM, a practicing veterinarian, is concerned about nonveterinarians exceeding their knowledge and training. However, he accepts that there is a definite place for holistic medicine and that many practitioners are more skilled in certain modalities than is he. Still, if the vets can get the legislation passed, and they may, it is only a matter of time until those in your state try to curtail your massage therapy activities. In British Columbia, the veterinarians won an almost identical equine dentistry case (BCVMA v Bill Bishop 2006–BCSC 556).

Their principal concern is that the vets believe unlicensed, undisciplined and incompetent individuals are practicing veterinary medicine. They argue that veterinarians are the only people with the education and skills to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. With the proposed legislation, veterinarians will make the diagnosis, massage therapists will act only as consultants and must work under the direct supervision of a vet when performing special procedures. The implications are clear.

There is confusion as to what these changes will mean to certain practitioners such as chiropractors, nutritionists, equine dentists, farriers, massage therapists and para-professionals of all kinds.

But there is a bright spot. The Florida Alliance for Animal Owners Rights (FAAOR) recognize that not all animal health care services require the knowledge, expertise or training that comes with a degree in veterinary medicine. They argued that animal owners should be allowed to choose whatever type of service provider they desire.

The FAAOR was instrumental in asserting animal owners rights with the passage of Florida House Bill l641 into law in June 2006. This bill recognizes the time honored services provided for herd and flock animals by independent contractors, and in Florida, exempts them from the veterinary law. This is an important step in recognizing that many people provide valuable animal health care services and owners have a right to decide what animal health care service they need.

The bottom line is that massage therapists everywhere should take notice of what the veterinarians are doing in Alberta, which could happen in many states, look at the Florida law, follow Florida’s lead, and to quote the late Roy Rogers, “Cut them off at the pass.”

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