An Act to Allow Chiropractors to Treat Dogs and Equids
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1220
Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: FOLEY, BRADSTREET
Amends: 32 MRSA §456, 32 MRSA §4860

Legislative Document
No. 1220
H.P. 795
House of Representatives, March 20, 2025
An Act to Allow Chiropractors to Treat Dogs and Equids
Reference to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services 
suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative FOLEY of Wells.
Cosponsored by Senator BRADSTREET of Kennebec and
Representatives: FLYNN of Albion, MASON of Lisbon, MCINTYRE of Lowell, MORRIS of 
Turner, OLSEN of Raymond, POMERLEAU of Standish.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §456 is enacted to read:
§456.  Animal chiropractic care
1. Equid defined.  For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise 
indicates, "equid" means an animal from the family Equidae, including, but not limited to, 
a horse, donkey, mule or zebra. 
2. Certification to perform animal chiropractic care.  The board shall certify a 
person licensed under this chapter to perform animal chiropractic care if the licensee has 
successfully completed a 210-hour course of instruction in animal chiropractic care 
approved by the board.
After receiving an initial certification from the board, the licensee must successfully 
complete at least 20 hours of continuing education prior to each renewal of the licensee's 
license that is specific to the diagnosis and treatment of animals, including a 2-hour course 
on contagious, infectious and zoonotic diseases in this State and other locations that might 
affect a licensee's animal patients. 
3. Authorization to perform animal chiropractic care.  A person licensed under this 
chapter who is certified by the board pursuant to subsection 2 may perform animal 
chiropractic care on a conscious dog or equid in accordance with the requirements of this 
subsection. 
A. After a referral from a licensed veterinarian, a licensee may perform animal 
chiropractic care on a dog or equid. The licensee shall submit an initiation of treatment 
report to the primary veterinarian of the dog or equid within 7 days of providing animal 
chiropractic care to that dog or equid. 
B. If a licensee suspects that the dog or equid has a contagious disease required to be 
reported under state law, the licensee shall notify the primary veterinarian and the 
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, division of animal and plant 
health. 
C. A licensee may perform animal chiropractic care on a dog or equid without a referral 
from a licensed veterinarian only upon completion of additional course work approved 
by the State Board of Veterinary Medicine of at least 8 hours of instruction in 
contagious, infectious and zoonotic diseases and at least one hour of instruction in 
animal chiropractic care jurisprudence.  
4. Malpractice insurance.  A person licensed under this chapter who is certified by 
the board to perform animal chiropractic care shall at all times maintain malpractice 
insurance specific to animal chiropractic care.
Sec. 2.  32 MRSA §4860, sub-§13 is enacted to read:
13.  Licensed chiropractor certified to perform animal chiropractic care.  A 
chiropractor licensed under chapter 9 performing animal chiropractic care in accordance 
with the requirements of section 456.
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes a chiropractor licensed in this State to provide chiropractic care to 
dogs and equids as long as the licensed chiropractor is certified to perform animal 
chiropractic care and meets other conditions specified in the bill.