About VeterinaryPsy
Established: 2019 Colorado U.S.A.
Currently Serving: 2025 Globally
Our organization arose in response to the changing psychedelic policies in Colorado U.S.A. in 2019.
As state policies shifted to allow both decriminalized at-home use and to create a legalized medical access route within the state, Colorado joined the many other states and countries, globally, where humans can easily access psychedelic substances.
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As humans gain access and interest in psychedelic substances increases, the exposure of animals to these substances is increasing in parallel. Whether it's malicious, accidental or intentional exposure, or broader effects such as habitat destruction to the threat of extinction for being psychedelic, the upsurging psychedelic industries impact animals in countless ways.
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Animals closely share our homes, family relationships, spaces, and choices.
According to data from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), close to 60 million U.S. households include a dog, over 30% of households include a cat, and many households include more than one animal (AVMA 2018).
Harm reduction action is needed, immediately, to create safety for the pets around us. ​VeterinaryPsy stands as an advocate for animals across all psychedelic research, medicine, legislation, and education ecosystems.
All-Species Awareness for an Emerging Industry
The health of humans, animals, plants, fungi, and our shared environment are interdependent. Animals live in close proximity to humans, serve essential roles in human lives, are dependent on humans for their care, and are utilized in the investigation of human therapeutic solutions.
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​Legislation, practice protocols, and safety parameters established around the use of psychedelic substances in humans will have both direct and indirect impacts on animal populations.
A translational and inter-species medicine mindset and animal-aware legislation ensures that the emerging psychedelic industry remains all-species aware and prioritize planetary wellbeing through the pursuit of OneHealth solutions.
Increasing Need for Harm Reduction
1. Accidental or Malicious Exposures
​Increased interest in and access to psychedelic substances by human users increases the risk and frequency of exposures in animals. Veterinary medicine practitioners must be aware of the potential for and prepared to respond to these exposures in our patients.​
2. Companion, Emotional Support, Service, & Therapy Animals
Adequate, job-appropriate, and continued service animal training paired with trauma-informed veterinary care & monitoring mitigates the risk to active service animals and identifies medical problems early, creating optionality in diagnostics and treatments for underlying or emerging behavioral disease.
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Therapeutic Potential in Animal Care
Animal emotional disorders are on the rise in parallel to humans, negatively impacting the entire family-unit.
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Behavioral conditions pose a risk to the animal safety, wellbeing, and quality of life.
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Behavioral disorders affect social bonding with the human members of a family unit, and prevent safe handling for medical care.
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Estimates place the number of dogs within the U.S. that suffer from anxiety and/or fear disorders close to 23 million. Companion animals as well as animals with a primary utilitarian function are frequently euthanized due to behavioral conditions​.​
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Veterinary medicine is in need of novel medical solutions to combat the behavioral conditions affecting the health and wellbeing of veterinary patients.
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Do psychedelics offer hope for animal patients?