California veterinarians and veterinary regulators told the committee that immediate access to veterinary expertise, premises minimum standards and a clear complaint process are central to animal safety when allied practitioners treat animals. Several veterinarians recounted cases where medical evaluation changed or averted life‑threatening outcomes.

Dr. Keith Roady, co‑owner of Woodland Veterinary Hospital, described four lawful ways a practice can provide rehabilitative or chiropractic services: the treating veterinarian; a contracted veterinarian with additional training; a registered veterinary technician with specific additional certification working under a veterinarian’s indirect supervision; or a human chiropractor or physical therapist working under direct on‑site supervision of a veterinarian, as spelled out in current California regulation. He emphasized that direct supervision means the veterinarian is physically on the licensed premise and able to render emergency care.

Other veterinarians recounted examples that, they said, support on‑site veterinary oversight. One witness described detecting signs of gastric dilation‑volvulus (GDV) during intake and providing immediate decompression and referral for surgery. Veterinarians said those kinds of nonmusculoskeletal medical presentations can appear as a limp or reduced mobility and may not be recognized without medical training and diagnostic testing.

Board witnesses explained enforcement pathways. The California Veterinary Medical Board accepts grievances online or by paper and triages complaints to a grievance committee; the board can investigate, issue citations for unlicensed practice, and take disciplinary action against licensees who allow services without an appropriate VCPR or supervision. Kentucky and Nevada witnesses described similar complaint-sharing arrangements when an issue spans professional jurisdictions.

Ending: Veterinarians urged that any expansion of allied practice preserve a clear, enforceable VCPR, registered veterinary premises minimums and a transparent complaint process, and that California weigh educational standards and emergency readiness in any reform.