Brazil’s action toast veterinary care free for pets In the four veterinary hospitals of the São Paulo City Council, it is also starting a new discussion in Spain. Whatit would be possible public health care for pets Or are pet owners responsible for covering all clinic expenses? “Free health care system for pets It would be very positive, but it seems like an unattainable ideal In reality,” notes Luis Alberto Calvo, head of the Collegiate Veterinary Organization (OCV), from the Prensa Ibérica group to El Periódico de España, the Carioca country has been demanding a VAT reduction for some time beyond its initiative, or even eliminate it, because “animal health is a luxury. cannot be taxed as a product”.

A tweet by writer and journalist Margaryta Yakovenko caused a stir. heated debate. “In a country where there are more pets than children (double), I don’t know why we don’t request Public Veterinary Care NOW. This is the ticket for my cat’s vet visit today. 351 euro. Well done. pet is a luxury item”, a publication that generates all sorts of responses. reader. I’m sorry but having a pet This is a choice, not a necessity.. Everyone pays what they want to have’ or ‘Because my taxes still won’t serve the whims of the rest. People are served by my taxes’ are some of these.

The fact is that the issue is not without controversy. “We don’t know about the offer to explain ourselves about it,” Luis Alberto Calvo tells this newspaper. But controversy aside, the head of veterinarians thinks a free healthcare system for pets would be “very positive,” but concedes that in reality it’s “out of reach.” Because she wondersWhere will the public resources come from to cover these expenses?“.

The Collegiate Veterinary Organization recalls that 10% VAT is applied to veterinary services provided to livestock owners, and 21% is VAT for others such as pet clinics. carries the collective when demanding a drop.

Orthopedics or oncology

Another topic is to talk about free pet care, as Brazil says it will do in four of the São Paulo City Hall’s clinics. A service that will have a wide variety in branches such as from ophthalmology to orthopedics, dentistry or oncology. It will consist of a team of 145 veterinarians and nearly a hundred assistants. This year’s budget is around 27 million reals (4.8 million euros, 5.3 million dollars).

OCV points again: what cannot happen veterinary care is no longer a luxury. At the end of the year, when the Budget Committee of the Congress of Deputies began discussing the thousands of amendments the parties had submitted to the draft General Budget bill for 2023, four political formations—Más País-Equo, the Galician Nationalist Bloc, PDeCAT, and Esquerra Republica de Catalunya—were in the budget to lower the VAT on veterinary services. made changes that were not included.

abandonment of animals

Referring to the 13-point increase in this tax in 2012, the political formation translated as “Given the current state of the health crisis, the measure consisting of the imposition of a 10% reduced VAT rate on veterinary services seems urgent” continued. Más País-Equo noted fewer visits to the vet and more abandonment of pets at the time.

“So this tax reform, Besides having an impact on animal welfare, it is an essential measure. If the zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted to humans are brought under control, the importance of public health is an indisputable thing in these times we live in. Education also warned that with fewer visits, there could be an increase in diseases that affect humans and are transmitted from animals, such as rabies, scabies, tuberculosis or hydatidosis, among others.

PACMA has spent years claiming discounts on veterinary VAT for both veterinary care and medicines and products.

The political body referred to a report by the Spanish Veterinary Business Confederation (CEVE), which states: tax offices would have entered at least 5 million euros more If discounted VAT (10%) was applied instead of general VAT (21%) in pet veterinary clinics, it would be valid for different concepts. Likewise, the Environment and Animal Husbandry Party (PACMA) has been demanding reductions in veterinary VAT for both veterinary care and pharmaceuticals and products for years. In this case, at 4%.

OCV affects: animal health cannot be considered a whim. For example, it refers to the price of mandatory vaccinations, which will decrease with the reduction of VAT, or the obligation that pet owners will henceforth have to take out state-level civil liability insurance for dogs, as designed by the animal. welfare law.