I strongly oppose this change. It is not that someone can not be trained to do this task. Anyone who wants to learn can be taught. It is about a life we choose, a career, a passion. Lvts don't just come to work to collect a paycheck. It is what we live, we breath. We have this desire to help animals and save them. We have decided to go to school, pass the boards, and do continuing education yearly. We are licensed. We are qualified to do these task. We have earned the right to do these tasks and we continue to want to grow and expand our knowledge. I believe if anyone applies themselves they can do the same. It is not that an assistant is not able to place a catheter, they shouldn't because they are not a vet or an lvt. You wouldn't want someone who said they were a doctor to treat you that wasn't a real doctor. It is illegal. What if they even had the knowledge of a doctor, still illegal. Why is this matter not the same? Just as businesses that are looking to hire, a GED or high school diploma is usually a must. It is not that someone who has not completed high school is inadequate. It shows you took time to learn, to graduate, to complete something. It shows it was important to you and you did not quit. I feel we should not lower these standards because of the lack of technicians. I feel that there is not a lack of technicians. I feel that a lot of technicians get out of the profession because they can not earn living on the wages. I am blessed to be at the hospital that I am at currently. Including myself, we have 2 lvts and two on the way. We also have 3 assistants enrolled in tech school. I feel it may not seem feasible for most practices to afford a lvt,but it is. Sometimes I think they just don't want to try. LVts are out there, but we need to be able to make a living. This field just has not been able to keep up with the wages lvts deserve. I feel that has a large part of the problem. That being said, I do not think that tasks should be reassigned because there is not an lvt on staff. Would you want a person who is not a doctor to look at you because the hospital could not afford to pay the doctor or even find a doctor to work there? I feel this is a no brainier. In reality, I believe lvts free the doctors up to generate more income. The lvts can also perform tech appointments to generate more income. I believe the team is not complete without a lvt.