About the Author
Politics & Policy columnist Mark Cushing is a political strategist, lawyer, founding partner of the Animal Policy Group and founding member of the Veterinary Virtual Care Association. Since 2004, he has specialized in animal health, animal welfare, and veterinary educational issues and accreditation. He is the author of “Pet Nation: The Inside Story of How Companion Animals Are Transforming Our Homes, Culture and Economy.”
Written By This Author

Government/Regulations
A Breed Apart
Purdue’s Canine Care Certified program helps ensure that commercial producers of puppies follow the highest standards.
Veterinary Education
The New College Try
Opening up to eight more DVM programs won’t be enough to solve the veterinarian shortfall.
Legal Issues
The Quiet Crisis
It’s time to reform pet euthanasia regulations nationwide by allowing supervised veterinary technicians to provide in-home end-of-life care.
Government/Regulations
So Near and Yet So Far
Veterinary practice has a bright future if we can align all the stakeholders to do what’s best for pets and the profession.
Government/Regulations
8 Calls to Action
Veterinary professionals, regulators and government leaders can work together or independently to solve multiple issues.
Government/Regulations
What Are We Doing About Access to Care?
Research into where pet owners seek services will help steer an industry dealing with not enough veterinary professionals.
Government/Regulations
A Meandering Path Forward
As the FDA stalls, Nevada and California take half steps in support of giving veterinarians a freer hand with cannabinoids.

Government/Regulations
Damage Control
As more states contemplate permitting non-economic compensation to aggrieved pet owners, the veterinary profession needs to step up in opposition.
Government/Regulations
Dogs, Shortages and Breeders
Humane standards and the formation of trusted relationships with suppliers will go a long way in satisfying America’s demand for affordable canine pets.

News
Midlevel Masters
Lincoln Memorial’s new online program is designed to propel veterinary technicians into greater management and clinical roles.
Practice Management
7 Ways to Alleviate the Veterinarian Shortage
The veterinary industry and profession should demand meaningful dialogue with the Council on Education on the needs of the marketplace and modern pet owners.
Legal Issues
A DVM’s Guide to Cannabinoid Supplements
Cannabinoids, because of their many positive physiologic properties, have numerous applications in enhancing the health and well-being of pets and humans.
Personal/Professional Development
Steering a Middle Course
The creation of a midlevel professional is a growing debate in veterinary medicine.
Patient Care
Breaking With Tradition
If the data does not back up predictions that a telemedicine VCPR leads to harm, then what is the basis for the arguments advanced by some veterinary organizations?
Veterinary Industry
4 Threats to Sustained Growth
Practice revenue is growing at an unprecedented pace, but the ranks of veterinarians and veterinary technicians are not keeping up.
Government/Regulations
The Price of Success
Don’t be surprised to see legislation addressing a number of topics of importance to the veterinary industry.
Veterinary Industry
Shortages and Excesses
Imagine the scale of human health professional shortages if we didn’t have nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
Government/Regulations
What’s Next for Telemedicine?
The evidence shows there’s no reason for anyone to fret about veterinary virtual care. It’s safe, effective, in demand and here to stay.
Innovation/Technology
A Golden Opportunity
The human-animal bond has brought monumental change to the veterinary industry. You can run with the pack and enjoy the riches, or you can be a slow-to-react naysayer.
Government/Regulations
Why I Wrote ‘Pet Nation’
America’s love affair with companion animals is now ingrained in society. The millennial and Z generations have made sure of that.
Innovation/Technology
Viva VVCA!
The newly established Veterinary Virtual Care Association will develop best practices, define standards and protocols, and do so much more.
Government/Regulations
Step on Up — Now
The profession and industry need to support our underfunded state veterinary medical boards before they are pushed aside by politicians.
Government/Regulations
Opportunities and Challenges
Pet owners are lining up for services — great! — but what if we can’t meet the demand? Either way, we need to root out bad vets and figure out where we stand on CBD.
Government/Regulations
The Dog Shortage Is Real
The flourishing import market poses genuine health threats. Certifying large commercial U.S. breeders could be a worthwhile solution.
Government/Regulations
Looming battles
New York lawmakers approved the first statewide declaw ban and, along with New Jersey, is looking at imposing rules on groomers. Who’s next?
Innovation/Technology
Oh, how things have changed
The veterinary world looks a whole lot different than it did 15 years ago. That’s a very good thing.
Veterinary Industry
Telemedicine nears a crossroads
Much has been accomplished to this point. Now it’s time for lawmakers and state and national organizations to step up.
Legal Issues
Courtrooms and Exam Rooms
As legislators in three states ponder awarding non-economic damages to pet owners, the veterinary profession needs to get to the bottom of what is troubling nurses.
Veterinary Education
Let’s Get to Work
What does the pet health care industry want to do about acute shortages of veterinarians and nurses?
Government/Regulations
Duty bound
Many states have implemented specific requirements for safe handling, recordkeeping, abuse prevention and awareness continuing education as a result of the opioid crisis.
Government/Regulations
The winds of change
As 2019 approaches, several critical matters — from the Fairness to Pet Owners Act to opioid abuse to telemedicine — remain unresolved.
Innovation/Technology
The state of the VCPR
Veterinarians are not required to report to their state veterinary medical board when they’ve established a VCPR with a particular animal owner.
Government/Regulations
Of Nurses and Unions
Key questions in both initiatives are whether clinic morale and teamwork would be affected positively or negatively.
News
Kentucky approves veterinary services tax
Companion animal veterinary services will be subject to a 6 percent levy starting July 1.
Veterinary Industry
PetsPAC packs a political punch
A PAC has never represented companion animal interests in the states, despite thousands of bills of interest being introduced every year in legislatures around the United States.
Veterinary Industry
The Looming Dog Shortage
The United States needs approximately 8.1 million dogs a year to meet current demand.
Government/Regulations
Great Expectations
Only a lawyer could figure out a veterinarian’s reporting duties when animal abuse is suspected.
Innovation/Technology
Veterinary Telemedicine: Are We Leading?
The profession must steer efforts to adapt digital tools to pet health care. Failure to do so will see clients choose pioneering practitioners.
Government/Regulations
Smartphones and Pets and Nurses … Oh, My!
Human medicine has embraced telemedicine, and younger pet owners favor it, so the future may be closer than you think.