Animal Physical Therapy Coalition - APTC

04/18/2026

This! Way to go, Texas advocates!

04/17/2026

Way to advocate Texas!
Voices were heard! The potential deleterious rule draft changes were removed from the agenda! If Texas Vet Board would have moved forward with their proposed changes, then they risked making it harder for animals to get the care they need by non-veterinary animal healthcare professionals.
But you guys did it! You took the important action needed to stop it in its tracks!!
Look how much we can accomplish together!

AnnouncementsChapter 571 and 573 rule drafts will not be presented at the April 21, 2026, Board meeting Chapter 571 and 573 rule drafts will not be presented at the April 21, 2026, Board meeting Date Posted: April 15 2026 at 1:52pmThe Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners announces that propos...

04/09/2026

We’re excited to share that the Animal Physical Therapy Coalition (APTC) continues to grow and build meaningful momentum.

APTC is a grassroots coalition comprised of over 50 entities, including animal welfare organizations, leading educational providers including veterinarians, RVTs, and licensed physical therapists...all united by a shared mission to expand access to safe, qualified animal PT.

We’re proud to have earned the trust of legislators and companies alike, and we remain committed to creating the kind of collaborative, common-sense change that benefits animals, providers, and the public.

Please join us in welcoming Onlinepethealth to the Coalition!

Their commitment to education and connection will help further the cause.

We’re grateful to Onlinepethealth for supporting this mission—and to all of you who continue to support this work.
Together, we keep pushing forward.

03/12/2026

Interested in the public comments made by Karen Atlas and Dr. Jenny Moe during the Joint Committee (Senate and Assembly) on Business and Professions during the Sunset Review Oversight Hearing of the Physical Therapy Board of California? Listen in to their 2 minute testimonies from yesterday.
Keeping the conversation moving forward. 💪🙌

Also here, is the comment made by California Veterinary Medical Association's lobbyist...same song and dance for that one..."the current structure has been working for many years and see no reason to change it now." 🙄. Of course they don't see a reason to change it...they have the market effectively monopolized through regulation...just the way they like it. It's never about the animals for them...follow the money. (granted, that is literally what a trade association is for, so they are just 'doing their job' to protect the vet profession. It's just a bad look for veterinarians during a time when the profession is under such public scrutiny.)

The Animal Physical Therapy Coalition is proud to the voice of the veterinarians and RVT's who wish to collaborate and do what is best for their animal patients. We continue to strengthen together.

03/12/2026

Karen Atlas, the President of the Animal Physical Therapy Coalition and Dr. Jenny Moe, Vice-President of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)'s Animal PT Engagement Group both went to Sacramento yesterday to advocate for the inclusion of Animal PTs into the PT Practice Act to increase access to care and break down the barriers that limit workforce utilization in California.
They had the opportunity to speak to the Joint Committee (Assembly and Senate) on Business and Professions during the PTBC's Sunset Review oversight hearing.
Showing up and keeping the conversation moving forward. 💪

03/11/2026

A wonderfully thorough Backgrounder of the Physical Therapy Board of California written up by the California State Legislature.
They identified the key issue of Animal Physical Therapy (Issue #7, starting on page 27). Pleased to see that this issue has been elevated and needing resolution. All steps in the right direction!

03/10/2026

Game on in Sacramento!
PTBC Sunset Review with the Joint Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development.
If you want to watch live, the link is in the comments section.

03/10/2026

Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Listen in on today's Sunset Review of the Physical Therapy Board of California

02/23/2026

📣 Join Us – Tuesday, March 10
The California State Legislative Oversight Committee will be conducting the Sunset Review hearing of the Physical Therapy Board of California (PTBC).

So what is a Sunset Review?

Typically every 4 years, California regulatory boards must justify their continued existence and demonstrate that they are effectively serving and protecting the public. Legislators review the board’s performance, enforcement practices, regulatory priorities, and overall impact. If changes are needed — this is when they happen.

In other words:

🔎 This is accountability.
⚖️ This is oversight.
🗣️ This is the public’s opportunity to be heard.

Why should you show up?
Because decisions made during Sunset Review shape the future of physical therapy regulation in California — including access to care, scope clarity, enforcement priorities, and how the Board interprets its authority.

If you care about:

• Patient access
• Consumer choice
• Professional transparency
• Fair and modern regulation
• The future of Animal Physical Therapy in California

This is the moment.
Legislators need to see that real people are paying attention. Public participation matters. Even your presence sends a message.
We cannot complain about the system if we don’t engage in the process.

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, March 10.

Let’s show up. Let’s be informed. Let’s participate.

02/20/2026

Dr. Ilana Strubel has long been a dedicated advocate for animals and the people who love them. As a rehabilitation veterinarian and practice owner in Pacifica, CA, she sees firsthand the growing access-to-care crisis impacting animals across our state.
When qualified professionals are prevented from practicing to the full extent of their training, animals wait. Families struggle. Outcomes suffer.
California’s animals deserve better.
Meaningful change is necessary.
And thoughtful, modern legislation is the only way forward to ensure safe, collaborative, and accessible rehabilitation care.

02/17/2026

Just to put this in perspective:

Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve, is reportedly paid around $190,000 per year (some sources place it more realistically in the low-to-mid $200Ks based on federal pay scales).

In California, the Executive Officer of the Physical Therapy Board of California is currently making approximately $185,000 per year…and his stated number one priority in Sunset Review is to secure a raise for his position.

You truly can’t make this stuff up.

For whatever reason, the Executive Officer of a single California regulatory board is positioned to earn nearly the same as the Chair of the United States Federal Reserve…one of the most consequential economic leadership roles in the world.

Meanwhile, Animal Physical Therapists in California are still being blocked from having clear, legal rights to practice under referral-based models that exist in many other states.

Priorities matter.
Transparency matters.
Access to care matters.

Just putting it out there for perspective.