Q: What does the Maryland State Board of Chiropractic Examiners have to do with massage therapy?
Mercedes: Unlike many other states, massage therapists in Maryland are not yet represented by our own board of massage therapy. Currently the Maryland Board of Chiropractic Examiners is responsible for licensing massage therapists.
Q: So are you a chiropractor?
Mercedes: No. I am a licensed massage therapist in Maryland.
Q: You're suing the Maryland vet and chiropractic boards for the right to practice animal massage?
Mercedes: Yes, together with the Institute for Justice, I am challenging the Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, as well as the Maryland Board of Chiropractic Examiners (which licenses massage therapists in Maryland). Click here to read more about the case.
Q: Why are you going to court over this? Couldn't you have negotiated with the Boards?
Mercedes: Unfortunately, both Boards made their positions absolutely clear. I was informed by the Chiropractic board that if I continued my animal massage practice, I would face immediate revocation of my license to practice massage therapy on humans. The Veterinary board stated that licensed human massage therapists who practiced animal massage would be considered to be practicing veterinary medicine and would face criminal prosecution -- no exceptions.
Since the lawsuit was filed (6/10/08), the Vet board has backpedaled on its position (7/11/08), saying that animal massage solely for the purposes of "general relaxation" or to make an animal "feel better" is permissible. There was NO reference to such exceptions in their original memo. In addition, I am still under a cease-and-desist order from the Chiropractic board. I will continue to fight until my right to practice animal massage is fully vindicated.
Q: Does this mean that you are anti-vet?
Mercedes: NO! I am very much pro-veterinarian. The vets I know are intelligent, dedicated, and hardworking individuals who love animals and want the best for them. I have had clients come to me specifically because their veterinarians recommended massage for their animals and I have often referred animal owners to veterinarians. Horses in particular benefit from a team approach to wellness and horse owners depend on a variety of non-veterinary as well as veterinary services. It is shameful that the Maryland vet and chiropractic boards are preventing horse and animal owners from having access to good quality massage & bodywork for their animals.
Q: Are you anti-chiropractor?
Mercedes: NO. Chiropractors are facing the same obstacles that massage therapists are -- they have been prohibited from practicing on animals as well, and I have heard from chiropractors all over the country who have expressed their support for my case (read what one chiropractor has had to endure from regulators here). A professional licensing board's actions and opinions are not necessarily those of the practitioners it licenses. A licensing board is not a professional association -- it is a regulatory organization formed by law to regulate professions, ostensibly in the public interest.
Q: Are you trying to get money from the boards?
Mercedes: No, I am not suing for loss of income or monetary compensation. I simply want the right and freedom to resume practicing animal massage in Maryland, without the threat of losing my massage therapy license and without being accused of practicing veterinary medicine.
Q: Is Maryland the only state that classifies animal massage therapy as the practice of veterinary medicine?
Mercedes: No. In 2003, the American Veterinary Medical Association revised its Model Practice Act. In it, the AVMA classified complementary & alternative health care, including massage, as the practice of veterinary medicine. Many states across the country subsequently incorporated similarly broad language into their state veterinary practice acts. So although this case pertains to Maryland, it is of national interest to animal owners, caregivers, and complementary & alternative health care providers. (Note: The chart on state animal massage law on the International Association of Animal Massage & Bodywork website is woefully outdated and does not reflect the many changes nationwide that have occurred since 2006, when the chart was published. A more current list can be found at Caninology.com. Keep in mind that veterinary practice laws and their interpretation by state veterinary boards are continually changing. State veterinary practice law exemptions can be found on the AMVA website.).
Q: Is the United States the only country where restrictive veterinary practice law is an issue?
Mercedes: No. Our northern neighbors in Alberta, Canada are also struggling with this issue. For more information, please visit the Alberta Alliance for Animal Owners Rights.
Q: How can I stay informed?
Mercedes: There are several ways you can stay informed about this issue.
Q: So what can I do to help?
Mercedes: Click here to visit my Call to Action page.
Other questions? Please contact Mercedes.
301-216-2612 or mercedes@probodyworker.com
