The issue:
California has an access to animal healthcare crisis and it is only going to get worse.
The California Veterinary Medical Board (VMB) added deleterious language to the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act in January 2022 that essentially created a veterinary monopoly for animal rehab services.
As a result, this new regulation now limits Californian's access to qualified non-veterinarian professionals for their pets by putting up unnecessary barriers to care.  Animal physical rehab clinics that were previously in compliance are now facing closure, further reducing access to care.
Though everyone who has animals are affected by these new regulations, the hardest hit  are those seeking rehab services for their horses and those who live in more rural communities.

Simply put, California has an access to animal healthcare crisis and the ONLY way to help address it is through passing legislation.

ANIMAL PHYSICAL THERAPY COALITION:
We seek to take a leading role to increase access to care for animals in California.  In response to the deleterious regulatory language that was enacted in January 2022, a legislative remedy is necessary to increase access to care for animal lovers seeking alternative therapies for their pets.   

For many years, physical therapists have established collegial, successful relationships with veterinarians to provide the highest quality of physical therapy services to animals through veterinary referral and indirect veterinary supervision.  This status quo has since changed in California, and now highly trained animal physical therapists are mandated to practice only under DIRECT veterinary supervision and only on a veterinarian's premise.

SO HOW DO WE FIX IT?
Answer:  Legislation. AB 1458 is here and serves as the legislative remedy to increase access to rehabilitative care for animals.
SUPPORT AB 1458!

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Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) defines Animal Physical Therapy as the practice of Physical Therapy and created Model Practice Act Language for this specialty niche.  Listen in to Dr. Kirk Peck, as he discusses his experience at the FSBPT level and the great news that regulators across the nation now have legitimate guidelines to follow as states create new laws.

This is huge for California.  This clip was taken from the APTA- Orthopedics section with Sasha Foster, President of APTA Animal Physical Therapy on November 18, 2025 podcast.

Interested in learning more about the California Veterinary and Physical Therapy Debate?  Click below for a 4 minute video:
It's not Vets vs. PTs.   It's Hierarchical vs Interprofessional Collaborative Model of Care

BELOW VIDEO:  ​In 2015, then-public member of the California Veterinary Medical Board (CVMB), Kathy Bowler, reminded the Board of the overwhelming public outrage during hearings on their proposed Animal Rehabilitation regulations. Despite strong opposition, the CVMB forced these regulations through in 2022. Access to animal physical therapy was a problem then—and it's only gotten worse. The solution is AB 1458!

BELOW VIDEO:  Public comment provided by Dr. James Syms (past-president of California Physical Therapy Association (CPTA)) and Noreen Marks, then-supervising attorney for the Department of Consumer Affairs provides the solution back in 2015.  The issue has yet to be resolved.  AB 1458 is the SOLUTION!

BELOW VIDEO:  Then Board Executive Officer, Annemarie DelMugnaio explains the issues before the Board back in 2015.    The answer is AB 1458!

BELOW VIDEO:  Dr. Mark Nunez of the CVMB in October 2015 identifies the issue that faces the Board.  The solution is AB 1458!

BELOW VIDEO (approx. 4 min):  Dan Baxter (Executive Director of CVMA) and Dr. Grant Miller (Director of Regulatory Affairs) provides public comment at the CVMB meeting on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.  Listen to the misleading messaging that successfully convinced the CVMB to oppose the common-sense AB 1458 bill which will very effectively increase access to care. (Though CVMA now contends that access to animal PT is not an issue that needs to be solved.).  
​This is the primary reason why so many California veterinarians are speaking out against the CVMA position on this issue and instead have joined our Coalition.
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​The solution is AB 1458!

BELOW VIDEO:  Karen Atlas, PT, MPT, CCRT provides public comment at the CVMB meeting on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.  (3 minutes)
THE SOLUTION IS AB 1458!