I strongly oppose non-LVTs being allowed to place IV catheters. If the Docs are too busy (or not very good at IVC placement as a few stated) who exactly will be training (not to mention "supervising") these assistants? I won't argue that there are likely assistants who are better at this task than some LVTs but that doesn't make it right. For every well-trained and supervised assistant, there may be a well-meaning but untrained, unsupervised lay person causing harm. How will it be regulated? Who determines when one is trained sufficiently to properly perform this task? If these Docs want to train their staff to do LVT duties, so be it; pay for them to go to school and be their mentor. That's how we'll get enough LVTs to go around. I can't imagine I'd be comfortable having a non-accredited person placing an IV catheter in my vein. Why would it be ok for my (or our clients') pets??  I know this is an unpopular view and in my 31 years in this profession, I've met some very skilled and talented assistants (I work with some right now) but not all assistants are trained the same way. Without regulation there would be no way to determine who is capable of this task.