As a veterinarian that has been practicing for 25 years, I have had a tremendous amount of experiences in multiple states with IV catheter placement in patients, both by licensed veterinary technicians and by non-licensed, but trained, assistants.  I have seen unlicensed individuals that could place catheters excellently, and I have seen licensed veterinary technicians that have been unable to routinely place catheters.  This is a skill, and a license does not ensure ability- it ensures knowledge.   I recognize that this is a position that will cause concern for many LVTs, but I believe that the value of an LVT is not in a skill, such as IV catheter placement, but instead is in their knowledge, ability to manage controlled substances, patient care and advocacy, and leadership within our hospitals.  The ultimate goal is excellent patient care.  Allowing more trained individuals to do iv catheter placement will give more time for our licensed veterinary technicians to develop and excel in the other areas that benefit the patient. I support this petition because we simply don't have enough licensed veterinary technicians to fill the technical needs for a majority of our veterinary hospitals in Virginia.