Animal Physical Therapy Coalition - APTC

10/03/2026

October is Physical Therapy Month! Clarity is key.

09/25/2026

Big problems require big solutions. Reform is necessary.

This is a dense read from the NAVEC - North American Veterinary Ethics Council and it offers valuable insight into the systemic issues facing the veterinary profession. If you care about the future of veterinary medicine, it’s worth your time to understand the depth of the issue and what can be done to change it.

NAVEC’s federal policy filing asks the U.S. Department of Education to end AVMA COE’s exclusive federal recognition, protect current students, recognize independent accreditors, and open lower-cost veterinary education pathways without lowering competence standards.

09/24/2026

Have you heard about the AIM proposal? It's a big deal. And there are some organizations and associations that are (or should be) VERY concerned. It's the federal government's latest proposal on accreditation, innovation and modernization related to education.
Here is the link to the proposal. https://www.regulations.gov/document/ED-2025-OPE-1042-0002.

So...what's the big deal? We invite you to the comments section to read the NAVEC - North American Veterinary Ethics Council incredibly well-researched letter in response that details the problems with the AVMA Council on Education and offers solutions to the issue.

09/03/2026

This is Dr. Cheryl Waterhouse, Chair of the California Veterinary Medical Board’s Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee. She also serves on the board of her regional veterinary trade association, the Central California Veterinary Medical Association.

Here, she is presenting an advocacy check to the California Veterinary Medical Association’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, Dr. Grant Miller....funds intended to support political advocacy on behalf of the veterinary profession.

Why does this matter?
The CVMB and the CVMA have fundamentally different missions. The CVMB’s responsibility is to protect California consumers and the public. The CVMA’s role is to advocate for the veterinary profession and its economic interests.

When one person holds leadership roles within both organizations, it raises legitimate questions about divided loyalties and conflicts of interest...or, at minimum, the appearance of one. Whose interests are guiding decisions when the needs of the profession and the interests of the public do not align?

When political contributions and regulatory influence are added to that overlap, the public deserves transparency and careful scrutiny.
There is a term for what can happen when the industry’s interests begin influencing the body charged with regulating it: regulatory capture.

Regulatory capture is the process by which a regulatory body becomes dominated or disproportionately influenced by the industry it regulates, resulting in policies or enforcement that advance the industry’s interests rather than the broader public interest.

CCVMA Board Member Dr. Cheryl Waterhouse presents a check from CCVMA to Dr. Grant Miller, who accepted it on behalf of the CVMA PAC. CCVMA is proud to support the CVMA PAC and its advocacy for California’s veterinary profession!

08/26/2026

🎉 Please join us in welcoming Canine PT and Me as the newest member of the Animal Physical Therapy Coalition!

Dedicated to canine rehabilitation and wellness, Canine PT and Me shares our belief that animals deserve access to qualified PT care. And creating common-sense legislation and regulation is the ONLY way forward.

We’re so grateful to have Canine PT and Me standing with us as we continue the fight for what is right! 🐾
Collaboration over competition. 🙌

08/13/2026

A glimpse behind the curtain of animal healthcare politics.

The rules that price families out of animal care were written by one lobby, in its own interest. Eight closed markets, one campaign wallet, and the families, animals, and independent clinics that pay. NAVEC Report No. 5.

08/01/2026

Do you know how policy decisions are made? Let us show you!

This was ELEVEN years ago!

This is the California Veterinary Medical Board's discussion following the 2015 public hearing...during the height of the public outcry over their proposed regulations.

Some VMB members did not bother to attend the public hearing, leaving VMB staff to summarize the public comments for the Board in the interest of "efficiency."

When the people making policy don't hear directly from the people affected by those policies, something important is lost.

As California continues to debate animal physical therapy policy, it's worth looking back at how these discussions unfolded, who was in the room, who wasn't, and how public input reached decision-makers.

History matters.

We'll be breaking this history into shorter, more digestible pieces over the coming weeks.

For those who want the full context, we've posted the entire 1.5 hour discussion here because the CVMB removed the webcast from its previous publicly accessible historical meeting archive.
So now the only other way to obtain it is through a California Public Records Act request.

Watch it. Read the record. Then decide for yourself how we got here. (...keep in mind... this meeting was after about a DECADE of prior discussions!).

07/31/2026

Alright folks...
Re: October 20, 2015 CVMB Regulatory Meeting (which was an important meeting that occurred after their very controversial public hearing that some Board members did not even bother to show up to...).

We just confirmed that the California Veterinary Medical Board (CVMB) will only post meeting agendas, agenda materials, and the official minutes on its website for that meeting. The webcast of this meeting—which contains discussions not reflected in the minutes—was removed from public access.

To obtain a copy, we had to submit a California Public Records Act request.

The Board has provided us with a temporary download link that will only remain active until September 7. After that, the link will be deactivated.

The CVMB has declined to restore the webcast to its website for permanent public access (even after requested), so if you would like a copy, download it now. We have preserved our own copy, but it's important that others do as well.

Many current Board members and staff have never seen this meeting and, like the public, are left to rely on minutes that do not capture the full discussion.

This is an important piece of California veterinary regulatory history, and preserving public access to it matters.

Download the webcast here (available until September 7):

05/21/2026