Rhode Island lawmakers have a powerful opportunity to help families access lifesaving veterinary care for their pets. They are considering a critical bill that would modernize state law and allow licensed veterinarians to use telehealth technology, also known as veterinary telemedicine, to safely deliver care to new and existing patients.
Across the country, people rely on telehealth for their own medical care. It’s time that Rhode Island pet owners and veterinary clinics benefit from the same advances in technology.
You may know how stressful and helpless it can feel when your pet becomes sick at night, on a weekend, or when your local clinic is closed, and you can’t provide your pet with the care they need. Sometimes, you need advice from a veterinarian, but your work schedule is too restrictive, or you don’t have a car to drive your pets to the clinic. Telemedicine allows families to connect with licensed veterinarians through video and digital platforms and receive guidance, treatment options, routine medications and prompt care when in-person visits aren’t immediately available.
Telemedicine can:
- Help prevent minor issues from becoming emergencies.
- Support routine and preventive care.
- Reduce stress for anxious cats, dogs or other pets who fear travel or clinic visits.
- Provide faster care for large, reactive or hard-to-transport animals.
- Expand access for families in rural or underserved areas.
The veterinary profession is facing a serious workforce shortage, leaving many Rhode Island families struggling to find timely care. Just as in human healthcare, telemedicine helps bridge gaps caused by staffing shortages, access barriers, cost concerns and geographic limitations.
Veterinary telemedicine is not about replacing in-person care — it’s about expanding access, improving outcomes, unlocking every useful tool that veterinarians can use, and meeting families where they are.
What You Can Do
Help this bill become law: Please complete the brief form below to send an email urging your state lawmakers to support H.B. 7020 and expand access to veterinary telemedicine in Rhode Island.
