• Rhode Island law requires in-person veterinary exams before telehealth can be used, creating access barriers for pet owners.
• House Bill 5555 aims to allow Rhode Island veterinarians to utilize telemedicine, expanding access to care amidst a veterinary shortage.
• Telemedicine could help address challenges like cost, transportation, and pet anxiety, potentially preventing pet relinquishment.

Telehealth has become a mainstream mode of health care – safely and conveniently connecting people with medical professionals, with no clinic visit required unless the health care provider determines the patient needs to be seen in person. While telehealth is widely available to physicians and their human patients, including babies and nonverbal adults, an outdated Rhode Island law prevents veterinarians from treating animals using telemedicine technology unless the veterinarian has physically examined the pet.

This antiquated approach means that pet owners are forced to wait for hard-to-get appointments so that veterinarians can examine an animal in person as a prerequisite to providing any care via telehealth, including in situations when such an exam may not be necessary or pet owners face barriers to getting pets into clinics.

Fortunately, legislation has been introduced to expand access to safe, convenient veterinary telemedicine, helping to bridge gaps in care caused by the ongoing veterinary shortage. Sponsored by Sen. Melissa Murray and Rep. Jon Brien, House Bill 5555 would empower state-licensed veterinarians to use telemedicine technology, giving them another tool to provide high-quality, accessible care, especially for pet owners who face financial, geographical or physical obstacles to seeing a veterinarian in person.  

A nationwide veterinary shortage has made it harder than ever for pets to get care, and many pet owners in Rhode Island and beyond are struggling to access veterinary services. National data indicates that approximately one-third of pets do not regularly see a veterinarian for a variety of reasons: finances; transportation problems; because they have large, fearful, or travel-phobic animals; or because they live in a community that has few or no veterinarians. Lane closures and construction delays on Rhode Island’s bridges and roadways have made it increasingly difficult to get pets to the veterinarian. Telemedicine would help pets receive some of the care they need without having to leave home. 

Many animal conditions can be safely treated through telemedicine, giving veterinarians and pet owners more choices when it comes to accessing important common medications for parasite prevention, treating itchy skin, ear issues, travel or separation anxiety as well as other behavioral problems, nutritional issues, veterinary hospice care, and more. Virtual appointments can sometimes even be more telling than in-person appointments because veterinarians can see the animal’s movement, behavior and environment while the animal is calm and comfortable in its own home rather than stressed in a clinic.

Lack of access to veterinary care is among the top reasons families are forced to make the heartbreaking decision to relinquish a pet to a shelter. In recent years, the Potter League has invested millions of dollars to improve access to veterinary care in our state, but even that huge investment is not enough to keep all Rhode Island pets safe, healthy and in their homes, where they belong. Expanding access to veterinary telemedicine would be an indispensable tool and could mean the difference between affordable access to care or no care at all. 

At the Potter League for Animals and the ASPCA, we believe that highly educated, licensed veterinarians should be entrusted to assess when pets need to have an in-person examination, as well as those situations when telemedicine is a safe and satisfactory treatment decision. 

Please join us in urging the General Assembly to pass Proposed Sub A for House Bill 5555 to empower veterinarians with another tool to provide high-quality, accessible care and ensure more pets can access the care they need. 

Brad Shear is CEO of Potter League for Animals. Jennifer Hobgood is senior director of Access to Care Policy, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.