Opponents say Proposition 129 is a sham proposal that will not help the animals it is supposed to benefit. Proponents, including Gov. Jared Polis, counter that it will fill a critical gap in the state’s veterinary services with additional economic benefits.

Proposition 129 seeks to create a new federally regulated Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA) for veterinary medicine. The measure would also establish the minimum education and qualifications required to become a VPA.

In explaining the bill, Polis said the animals would be cared for by a veterinary technician, a low-level assistant and a certified veterinarian. Proposition 129 would create the VPA position to bridge a gap between them. That means a larger workforce and better-paying jobs in the industry, Polis said.

“This initiative, Prop. 129, would do something that we have learned from human medicine,” he said. “It will be a doctor’s assistant. So we have these kind of mid-level veterinary experts who are able to do the basic work under the supervision of a veterinarian.”

Rep. Karen McCormick, a veterinarian, called the bill “disheartening” and stressed that while it sounds like a good idea on the surface, it is misleading because it will not deliver on what was promised.

In the human world, a physician assistant or nurse practitioner provides medical care under the direction of the officiating physician. Supporters of Proposition 129 say a VPA will be similar in wildlife.

However, McCormick said a human PA could prescribe medication, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would not allow a VPA to do the same, meaning the newly created professional would not be in during surgery or in providing primary care would be able to legally administer medication.

“That should be a big red flag,” she said. “This means that diagnosis and prescription are inextricably linked. You’re really disabled in a way if you’re not able to prescribe medication. Or if you’re in the middle of a surgery and the animal just needs something to improve its blood pressure, breathing rate, or heart rate, and a VPA says to a technician, “I need 10 milligrams of this infusion now.” “You would go against violate the law.”

Ali Mickelson, the Dumb Friends League’s senior director of advocacy and education, said this is an area where she and McCormick disagree. Mickelson and Apryl Steele, the president and CEO of the Dumb Friends League, led the campaign to collect enough signatures for Proposition 129 to qualify for the ballot.

Mickelson said a VPA can practice veterinary medicine under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

“We have consistently agreed on this matter,” Mickelson said. “We really have different interpretations of the FDA regulations as it relates to prescribing. If the supervising veterinarian doesn’t believe the FDA will allow that professional to prescribe, they don’t have to delegate that, and that’s not what they have to do.”

McCormick, a Democratic representative from Longmont, said she tried unsuccessfully to push through a change in the state’s information booklet for the 2024 ballot, also known as the “Blue Book,” that would emphasize that a VPA’s capabilities are limited and the Accreditation is questionable.

When the medical industry created jobs for nurse practitioners and physician assistants, Polis says the same arguments were made about endangering patients. The two-term governor emphasized that this did not happen and that the new positions helped the medical industry.

Polis said VPA training would be provided through an online master’s degree program in veterinary clinical nursing at Colorado State University. The goal is to complete the first VPA class in 2027.

While CSU will benefit from the additional tuition, McCormick said, the problem is that veterinary programs must obtain accreditation through the National Veterinary Accreditation Program. Currently, the CSU program is not accredited, she said.

In an emailed statement, Dr. Sandra Faeh, president of the American Veterinary Association, said her group “strongly opposes Ballot 129 because it endangers the health and well-being of animals.”

She said the proposal would create a new mid-level practitioner but whose training would be “largely online with minimal practical teaching”.

“Proposition 129 would allow VPAs to practice veterinary medicine, including performing surgeries after inadequate training,” she said. “Furthermore, there is currently no accreditation, national testing or licensing to ensure that VPAs provide safe and effective animal care. As an experienced veterinarian, I can tell you that there is no such thing as an ‘easy’ operation – not even a ‘routine’ one. The procedures can get complicated. We urge Coloradans to vote no on Proposition 129.”

Polis rejected that a VPA would endanger animals and said passage of Proposition 129 would close a veterinary care gap in Colorado, particularly in rural communities.

Data from 2023 shows that about 3,800 veterinarians in Colorado treat 2.5 million dogs and cats per year, not including horses and livestock. In 2023, a survey of Colorado veterinarians conducted by Colorado State University found that 71% of veterinarians reported giving up animals in need of treatment on a weekly basis.

Mickelson said the clinics hosted by the Dumb Friends League are always full and pet owners even give up their animals because they can’t afford it or can’t find proper care.

“We know that one in three people face barriers to accessing veterinary care,” she said. “And that 20% of Colorado counties have little or no access to veterinary care.”

While she doesn’t dispute the need, McCormick said lawmakers acted during the 2024 legislative session to enact two bills signed by Polis.

House Bill 1047 allows veterinary technicians to perform additional duties under the direct or indirect supervision of a licensed veterinarian, giving veterinarians the opportunity to use technicians and increasing pay and job satisfaction.

The second bill passed in 2024 was House Bill 1048, which created a legal path for veterinarians to conduct telemedicine visits. The bill was passed in accordance with FDA guidelines.

McCormick said the passage of the two laws is a “huge” step toward addressing the veterinary workforce shortage. She added that this was done as part of a summer program that included weekly meetings, research and debates.

“We have been working very hard with our organization in Colorado that represents the registered veterinary technicians and the veterinary technology specialists,” McCormick said. “All we learned this summer is that there is such a thing as a veterinary technician specialist, which is a highly skilled, more highly trained veterinary technician with higher credentials and meets many of the objectives.”

Given the success in passing the new law, McCormick said she was disappointed that Proposition 129 moved forward.

Mickelson said the Dumb Friends League supports HB 1047, noting that it addresses a problem where veterinary technicians leave the industry after an average of five years. However, she said it doesn’t go far enough and Proposition 129 takes another step forward.

The All Pets Deserve Pet Care Committee has received more than $1.2 million in donations in support of Proposition 129. The Dumb Friends League donated $1 million to the cause.

The opposition Keep Our Pets Safe committee has reported donations of more than $1.9 million. The largest donor is the American Veterinary Medical Association with $850,000.

Oppose Proposal 129:

• American Association of Bovine Practitioners

• American Association of Equine Practitioners

• American Associations of Swine Veterinarians

• American Association of Veterinary State Boards

• American Veterinary Dental College

• Colorado Veterinary Medical Association

• Independent Veterinary Medical Association

• Littleton Equine Center

• Pike’s Peak Veterinary Clinic

• The American Veterinary Medical Association

• Veterinary management groups

Proposition 129 is supported by:

• Animal policy group

• Colorado Voters for Animals

• League of Stupid Friends

• Independence Institute

• The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado

• Thrive pet health

• Virtual Veterinary Care Association