Ban Parking Lot Veterinary Assessments: Mandate Real Exams Before Life-or-Death Decisions
The Issue
Pet owners trust veterinarians with the lives of our beloved animals. Yet, some veterinarians are making life-or-death recommendations without documented in-person physical examinations.
NITKA'S STORY:
On January 19, 2026, I took my senior German Shepherd, Nitka, to a PetVet Care Centers-owned clinic in Georgia for a scheduled Quality of Life (QOL) evaluation. Instead of bringing her inside for a thorough exam, the veterinarian came out to my car in the parking lot, glanced at Nitka in the car, and immediately recommended euthanasia. He never touched her, never performed a physical exam, never asked about her daily life, and never completed a standard QOL evaluation. He didn't even look her in the face. The veterinarian said Nitka is "half the dog she used to be" and declared it's time to let her go. I rejected the vet's euthanasia recommendation.
Nitka did NOT need to die on January 19, 2026.
She proved that she DESERVED a chance.
Nitka was subsequently under the care of a veterinarian at an independent animal clinic and was also evaluated by a veterinary specialist at a separate clinic. Neither recommended euthanasia. Though she faced medical challenges, Nitka remained alert and engaged with her surroundings and continued to demonstrate positive quality-of-life indicators, including eating and drinking, playing with her toys, enjoying car rides, protecting our home, and resting comfortably.
Nitka underwent surgery on July 30, 2026 and unexpectedly passed away on July 31, 2026—just one day after surgery.
We are heartbroken and devastated by her sudden passing. She was a loyal, loving member of our family.
Although our sweet girl is gone, we are grateful for the 194 precious days we shared with Nitka after rejecting euthanasia on January 19. Those 194 extra days gave us memories we will cherish forever.
No pet owner should ever receive a euthanasia recommendation based on a cursory “parking lot” assessment.
Nitka’s story raises serious systemic concerns, including:
- Weak enforcement of basic examination standards;
- Rushing critical or irreversible decisions in high-volume corporate settings; and
- Lack of transparency and accountability.
Additional concerns include billing for services not rendered, duplicative billing, billing for medication never dispensed, and written threats of criminal “theft of services” charges in response to a legitimate civil billing dispute. These practices are coercive, misleading, and unacceptable in a licensed veterinary setting.
Threatening consumers with criminal action for exercising their right to file a legitimate civil billing dispute is an abusive practice that must end and should not be tolerated in Georgia or anywhere in the United States.
VETERINARY REFORMS NEEDED IN GEORGIA:
Please join me in demanding that Georgia lawmakers and the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine take immediate action to:
- Require a documented, in-person physical examination in the clinic before any euthanasia recommendation can be made.
- Ban non-clinical or “curbside/parking lot” assessments as the basis for major medical decisions.
- Establish clear, enforceable standards for QOL evaluations.
- Strengthen oversight and enforcement of veterinary practices.
- Mandate transparency in vet clinic ownership and business registration.
- Hold veterinary practices accountable for timely and proper business/name registration through the Georgia Secretary of State.
- End coercive billing and collection practices that use criminal threats to resolve civil billing disputes.
- Establish auditing and enforcement standards to address inaccurate or misleading medical record documentation.
- Ban post-visit “charting” by strictly mandating all medical record entries to be made during the appointment. Require any necessary updates to be clearly marked as "post-visit," time-stamped, signed by the veterinarian, and immediately disclosed, in writing, to the pet owner.
SUPPORT NITKA'S LAW:
On September 21, 2026, I submitted a formal bill proposal for Nitka’s Law to Senator Jason Anavitarte, Rep. Martin Momtahan, and other appropriate Georgia legislators ahead of the 2027 Legislative Session.
Nitka’s Law PROHIBITS parking-lot veterinary assessments and EFFECTIVELY CLOSES the critical regulatory gap that currently allows veterinarians to recommend euthanasia without first physically examining companion animals in an appropriate clinical facility.
Every pet DESERVES the dignity of an in-person physical examination before a veterinarian recommends ending its life. Nitka's life mattered. Her loss matters. And her legacy will continue through our efforts to bring better protections for all pets and pet owners in Georgia.
Please SIGN this petition and SHARE it widely!
DEMAND HIGHER STANDARDS, REAL ACCOUNTABILITY, AND BETTER PROTECTIONS:
The recommendation to euthanize Nitka came from a veterinarian in the parking lot at a corporate-owned clinic. That experience exposed serious concerns about accountability and the standards that should apply when a veterinarian makes a life-or-death recommendation. Though we cannot stop corporations from owning veterinary clinics in Georgia, we can demand that ownership never determine the standard of care.
We can unite and use our voices to fight for meaningful change. We need veterinary reforms that apply to every licensed veterinarian practicing in Georgia, regardless of the ownership or business model of the veterinary practice.
We need higher standards, real accountability, and better protections for all pets and pet owners in Georgia. Pets deserve thorough, compassionate care based on real medical evaluations, not brief parking lot encounters.
TAKE ACTION TODAY! SIGN AND SHARE THE PETITION:
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition across social media and within your networks!
Pets are family! We have to speak up for them. #NitkasLaw #Nitka
Nitka’s story was recently featured in a local television news segment on corporate veterinary care in Georgia. For public reaction to the segment, you can view and participate in the discussion on the news station's Facebook page by clicking here or just copy this link: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1427841762709829&set=pb.100064520571463.-2207520000
PetVet Care Centers, which is owned by global investment firm Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts (KKR), issued the following statement to local media:
“The doctors and staff at Kay Animal Hospital are committed to providing high-quality, compassionate veterinary care. Clinical decisions are made by our veterinarians based on each patient’s condition, history, and safety considerations. We are confident in the care that was provided and remain focused on supporting our teams in delivering trusted, patient-centered service.”
Please note: If you’d like to support this petition directly, the most effective action is to share it with your friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues. Share this petition across social media and within your networks. Sharing is free and powerful.
1,463
The Issue
Pet owners trust veterinarians with the lives of our beloved animals. Yet, some veterinarians are making life-or-death recommendations without documented in-person physical examinations.
NITKA'S STORY:
On January 19, 2026, I took my senior German Shepherd, Nitka, to a PetVet Care Centers-owned clinic in Georgia for a scheduled Quality of Life (QOL) evaluation. Instead of bringing her inside for a thorough exam, the veterinarian came out to my car in the parking lot, glanced at Nitka in the car, and immediately recommended euthanasia. He never touched her, never performed a physical exam, never asked about her daily life, and never completed a standard QOL evaluation. He didn't even look her in the face. The veterinarian said Nitka is "half the dog she used to be" and declared it's time to let her go. I rejected the vet's euthanasia recommendation.
Nitka did NOT need to die on January 19, 2026.
She proved that she DESERVED a chance.
Nitka was subsequently under the care of a veterinarian at an independent animal clinic and was also evaluated by a veterinary specialist at a separate clinic. Neither recommended euthanasia. Though she faced medical challenges, Nitka remained alert and engaged with her surroundings and continued to demonstrate positive quality-of-life indicators, including eating and drinking, playing with her toys, enjoying car rides, protecting our home, and resting comfortably.
Nitka underwent surgery on July 30, 2026 and unexpectedly passed away on July 31, 2026—just one day after surgery.
We are heartbroken and devastated by her sudden passing. She was a loyal, loving member of our family.
Although our sweet girl is gone, we are grateful for the 194 precious days we shared with Nitka after rejecting euthanasia on January 19. Those 194 extra days gave us memories we will cherish forever.
No pet owner should ever receive a euthanasia recommendation based on a cursory “parking lot” assessment.
Nitka’s story raises serious systemic concerns, including:
- Weak enforcement of basic examination standards;
- Rushing critical or irreversible decisions in high-volume corporate settings; and
- Lack of transparency and accountability.
Additional concerns include billing for services not rendered, duplicative billing, billing for medication never dispensed, and written threats of criminal “theft of services” charges in response to a legitimate civil billing dispute. These practices are coercive, misleading, and unacceptable in a licensed veterinary setting.
Threatening consumers with criminal action for exercising their right to file a legitimate civil billing dispute is an abusive practice that must end and should not be tolerated in Georgia or anywhere in the United States.
VETERINARY REFORMS NEEDED IN GEORGIA:
Please join me in demanding that Georgia lawmakers and the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine take immediate action to:
- Require a documented, in-person physical examination in the clinic before any euthanasia recommendation can be made.
- Ban non-clinical or “curbside/parking lot” assessments as the basis for major medical decisions.
- Establish clear, enforceable standards for QOL evaluations.
- Strengthen oversight and enforcement of veterinary practices.
- Mandate transparency in vet clinic ownership and business registration.
- Hold veterinary practices accountable for timely and proper business/name registration through the Georgia Secretary of State.
- End coercive billing and collection practices that use criminal threats to resolve civil billing disputes.
- Establish auditing and enforcement standards to address inaccurate or misleading medical record documentation.
- Ban post-visit “charting” by strictly mandating all medical record entries to be made during the appointment. Require any necessary updates to be clearly marked as "post-visit," time-stamped, signed by the veterinarian, and immediately disclosed, in writing, to the pet owner.
SUPPORT NITKA'S LAW:
On September 21, 2026, I submitted a formal bill proposal for Nitka’s Law to Senator Jason Anavitarte, Rep. Martin Momtahan, and other appropriate Georgia legislators ahead of the 2027 Legislative Session.
Nitka’s Law PROHIBITS parking-lot veterinary assessments and EFFECTIVELY CLOSES the critical regulatory gap that currently allows veterinarians to recommend euthanasia without first physically examining companion animals in an appropriate clinical facility.
Every pet DESERVES the dignity of an in-person physical examination before a veterinarian recommends ending its life. Nitka's life mattered. Her loss matters. And her legacy will continue through our efforts to bring better protections for all pets and pet owners in Georgia.
Please SIGN this petition and SHARE it widely!
DEMAND HIGHER STANDARDS, REAL ACCOUNTABILITY, AND BETTER PROTECTIONS:
The recommendation to euthanize Nitka came from a veterinarian in the parking lot at a corporate-owned clinic. That experience exposed serious concerns about accountability and the standards that should apply when a veterinarian makes a life-or-death recommendation. Though we cannot stop corporations from owning veterinary clinics in Georgia, we can demand that ownership never determine the standard of care.
We can unite and use our voices to fight for meaningful change. We need veterinary reforms that apply to every licensed veterinarian practicing in Georgia, regardless of the ownership or business model of the veterinary practice.
We need higher standards, real accountability, and better protections for all pets and pet owners in Georgia. Pets deserve thorough, compassionate care based on real medical evaluations, not brief parking lot encounters.
TAKE ACTION TODAY! SIGN AND SHARE THE PETITION:
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition across social media and within your networks!
Pets are family! We have to speak up for them. #NitkasLaw #Nitka
Nitka’s story was recently featured in a local television news segment on corporate veterinary care in Georgia. For public reaction to the segment, you can view and participate in the discussion on the news station's Facebook page by clicking here or just copy this link: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1427841762709829&set=pb.100064520571463.-2207520000
PetVet Care Centers, which is owned by global investment firm Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts (KKR), issued the following statement to local media:
“The doctors and staff at Kay Animal Hospital are committed to providing high-quality, compassionate veterinary care. Clinical decisions are made by our veterinarians based on each patient’s condition, history, and safety considerations. We are confident in the care that was provided and remain focused on supporting our teams in delivering trusted, patient-centered service.”
Please note: If you’d like to support this petition directly, the most effective action is to share it with your friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues. Share this petition across social media and within your networks. Sharing is free and powerful.
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Petition created on May 21, 2026