Senate Bill 56 intends to address Indiana’s veterinary shortage

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Senate Bill 56 is intended to address Indiana’s veterinary shortage by allowing the Board of Veterinary Medicine to give licenses without an exam for applicants with licenses and experience in other states. Denise Derrer Spears, the communication director of the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, said the shortage is due to a number of factors, including the increase in pet ownership during the pandemic, and more people who started noticing their pets had health issues because they were home with them all day. Myranda Jennings, the president of the Indiana Veterinary Technician Association, says focusing on recruitment and use of vet technicians is what will really help draw people into the state. “They’ve got to get paid a living wage to be attracted,” Jennings said. “To come to Indiana and stay and work in large animal, or those rural areas.”