Rhode Islanders know the comfort and companionship pets bring to our lives. At the Rhode Island SPCA and Potter League for Animals, we see every day how deeply people love their pets and how strong the human animal bond truly is. We also see the heartbreak families experience when they cannot access veterinary care for an animal they love.

That is why we support legislation introduced by Senator Brian Thompson and Representative Jon Brien, Senate Bill 3180 and House Bill 7020, which would modernize Rhode Island law to ensure pet owners in our state can access veterinary healthcare through telemedicine—video visits online or using a smartphone—whenever medically appropriate.

For animal shelters and welfare organizations, this issue is not theoretical. It is a daily reality.

Across Rhode Island and the country, pet owners are struggling to access veterinary care due to workforce shortages, rising costs, transportation barriers, and long wait times for appointments. Shelters are increasingly seeing pets surrendered not because families do not love them, but because they cannot access or afford timely care.

Recent national research confirms what animal shelters have been witnessing for years. A 2025 PetSmart Charities and Gallup study found that more than half of U.S. pet owners skipped or declined needed veterinary care in the past year, with financial barriers cited as the primary reason. Another finding from this report was that 94 percent of veterinarians reported that client finances sometimes or often limit their ability to provide recommended care.

This is not simply a veterinary issue. It is an animal welfare issue. When pets cannot access care, illnesses worsen. Conditions that could have been treated early become emergencies. Families delay treatment while trying to find an available appointment. In some cases, pet owners surrender animals to shelters because they feel they have no other option. In the end, pets and their people suffer.

Telemedicine is not a replacement for in-person veterinary care. It is one more tool that helps pets receive care sooner while reducing strain on overwhelmed clinics, emergency hospitals, and shelters.

Importantly, this legislation would enable veterinarians to establish a veterinary client patient relationship electronically without requiring an in-person visit first. That distinction matters. The mandatory in-person requirement is often the barrier to care itself.

Rhode Island already recognizes this reality in human healthcare. Doctors are empowered to establish relationships with patients through telemedicine in every state because lawmakers understand that requiring an unnecessary in person visit can delay treatment and reduce access to care. If this standard is considered appropriate for people, including children, seniors, and nonverbal adults, it is fair to ask why Rhode Island should prevent veterinarians from using their professional judgment to help dogs and cats in the same way.

For shelters, veterinary telemedicine can also become an important operational and animal welfare tool.

Animal shelters are caring for increasingly complex medical and behavioral cases while facing staffing shortages and rising demand. Telemedicine can help shelters support animals recovering from spay and neuter surgeries, provide care for animals placed in foster homes, reduce unnecessary transportation stress, and identify medical concerns before they escalate.

Most importantly, telemedicine can help preserve the human-animal bond. Scientific research consistently shows that pets improve human health and well-being. Pets reduce loneliness, improve mental health, encourage exercise, and provide companionship during some of life’s most difficult moments. When barriers prevent families from accessing veterinary care, it harms not only the animals but also the people who love and depend on them.

This is not a new or untested concept. Ten states have already enacted laws allowing veterinarians to establish a veterinary client patient relationship electronically, with Washington state becoming the most recent this legislative session. Canada has successfully used veterinary telemedicine for more than a decade, demonstrating that veterinarians can responsibly use technology to improve access to care while maintaining professional standards.

As leaders of two of Rhode Island’s oldest and most respected animal welfare organizations, we urge lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 3180 and House Bill 7020 this session.

Rhode Island families deserve more options to care for their pets. Animal shelters deserve tools that help them provide timely care and reduce strain on staff and resources. Most importantly, animals deserve timely access to care before small problems become larger ones. Access to veterinary care is an animal welfare issue. Telemedicine can and should be part of the solution.

Todd Cramer, CAWA President
Rhode Island SPCA

Brad Shear, CAWA Chief Executive Officer
Potter League for Animals