Banfield Pet Hospital will schedule appointments with credentialed veterinary technicians at nearly one-third of its locations by the end of October.
Having credentialed technicians provide services such as vaccinations, heartworm tests and nutritional counseling — all under a veterinarian’s direction — will create “increased availability and accessibility for our clients,” said Jim Ashby, chief operating officer of Banfield Pet Hospital.
“We believe that when veterinary professionals get to practice at the top of their license, veterinary teams, pets and clients all benefit,” Ashby said. “Veterinary technician appointments are just one component of the practice’s holistic efforts to elevate this critical member of the hospital team.”
Banfield plans to roll out technician appointments at about 300 of the company’s 1,050 hospitals in the United States and Puerto Rico.
“We expect to complete 30,000 credentialed veterinary technician appointments by the end of the year,” Ashby said.
The announcement was made during National Veterinary Technicians Week. Banfield reported that its ongoing support of veterinary technicians has included increased hourly pay practice-wide and the tripling of the continuing education allowance.