A new state bill would allow Colorado veterinarians to offer more telehealth appointments in response to a law passed last year.
During the 2024 legislative session, Colorado lawmakers passed a law that allows telehealth visits, only if the pet owner has gone for an in-person visit that year.
"This bill would allow pet owners to access veterinary care via telemedicine, much like humans are able to do to get human health care. And so really, what we're trying to do is modernize veterinary care so that more people can access care that their pets aren't seeing right now," State Legislative Director Mountain West Region with the ASPCA Sabrina Pacha said.
Colorado has a veterinary care accessibility score of 58 out of 100, according to Pacha. That's a failing grade.
She also said one in three pets aren't regularly seeing a vet at least once a year for a checkup.
There's a need to find solutions for pets and their owners, Pacha said, and one issue is accessibility.
"A lot of pets are not seeing the veterinarian, but also, pet owners are either in veterinary care deserts or because of challenges with transportation or language barriers, they're just not getting into the vet," Pacha said.
The American Veterinary Medical Association defines "veterinary care deserts," as those living more than four miles from a vet in the city, and 10 miles away from rural areas.
"We have been having this conversation in Colorado for a while now because of the veterinary care deserts and the lack of access, and we're seeing a lot of shelters report an increase in surrenders because of animals that just have gone without veterinary care for so long that it becomes too expensive," Pacha said.
Some groups opposing the bill include the the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Colorado Association of Certified Veterinary Technicians.
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