Cost of vet treatment petition for animal NHS

[Speakeasy]

Everyone is suffering from the cost of living crisis and it is hitting pet owners too, especially with the cost of vet treatment rising rapidly. There are two petitions running asking for an Animal NHS, one on the UK government site and one of the Welsh government site. People in Wales can sign both but everyone else can only sign the UK one.

Please consider signing and sharing the petitions because it might just help people to keep the pets they consider to be their family.

The UK petition is at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/635352
and reads:

Create an Animal NHS for pensioners, those on low incomes, and for emergenciesIntroduce an Animal NHS for the animals of pensioners, those on means tested benefits and for animals who present with emergencies. Creating a national service to meet the needs of these animals would allow veterinary charities to help a new range of clients who are struggling to make ends meet.
More details
No animal owner could be unaware of soaring veterinary costs. One of the most common reasons that the SHG sees for animal welfare prosecutions that is failure to seek veterinary advice, either at all, or quickly enough, even if the animal is booked in for when the next pay cheque arrives.
A recent survey found that nearly all UK vets that responded have seen animals during the last 12 months that should have been presented earlier. Financial problems were given as the main reason in 91% of cases.
We can and must do better.

The Welsh petition is at https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/245403
and reads:

Create an Animal NHSIntroduce an Animal NHS, if only for the animals of pensioners, those on means tested benefits and for animals who present with emergencies.
If private vets could access general government funding it would allow the veterinary charities to help a new range of clients who are struggling to make ends meet.
More details
No animal owner could be unaware of soaring veterinary costs. One of the most prolific reasons for animal welfare prosecutions that come into The SHG is failure to seek veterinary advice, either at all, or quickly enough, even when the animal is booked in for when the next pay cheque arrives. Nearly all vets have seen animals during the last 12 months that should have been presented earlier.
www.vettimes.co.uk/news/report-shows-growing-number-of-clients-delaying-treatment-for-their-pets/
Financial problems were given as the main reason in 91% of cases.
Times are hard and there are many calls on government finances but the proven benefits of animal companionship means that an Animal NHS would pay for itself many times over, if only by reducing demands on the courts and legal aid.
Wales can and must do better.

People are dying of cancer on nhs waiting lists.

If you can't afford treatment for the luxury pet (and with the COL acknowledge- it is a luxury) and you can't afford the vet treatment- put it down. Idiotic post.

I would fully support this- even if your comment is just in jest.
Disgusting, selfish owners and outdoor cats owners are also disgustingly selfish and no- I don't give a fuck that 'cats can legally roam.' Cat proof your garden and live in their filth yourself then.

@Chasingadvice - don't get me started. My neighbours have 3 cats who regard our lawn as their personal toilet. Nothing seems to deter them. Because dog ownership has risen in the last few years, the amount of dog mess on pavements is truly disgusting. And no, I don't think it's ok just to let them do it in the local park either. Filthy.

Exactly.
84 signatures - most of the public disagree with you OP.
We do many things to animals that would be cruel to humans. Putting them in cages for meat, taking them away from their mothers for milk. PTS aggressive dogs.
Unless you're vegan it's disingenuous to be howling about animal care and indeed in the past many animals were just PTS instead of being subjected to long drawn out and torturous 'treatment' more for the owners benefit.

We do many things to animals that fee paying clients would not do because insurance is there to tap into. The petitions is asking for a basic standard of vet care to ensure suffering is alleviated, despite the claims that it will equal NHS so-called care.

For those who say that the NHS can't cope, if on Facebook take a look at a group called NHS - The National HELL Service. The problems are mainly caused by negligence and bullying staff - not good reads over there. Add to that squandering by managers and failure is inevitable.

Erm well the petition doesn't say 'basic standard of vet care'. It says 'animal NHS'.
Using the word NHS means that it's comprehensive, and as I'm sure you know it's a small number of illnesses that cost the most. Like cancer. These can cost a few grand.
Taxpayer money would be far better spent restricting pet ownership, and once we have gotten over the idea that pets are a human right maybe the amount of animals that exist would be manageable enough to consider some sort of help.

But as this thread has shown along with the low number of people signing it isn't something that people think the tax payer should fund.

I wonder if the petition might actually have attracted more traction if it had been more well thought out and sensible. Maybe a subsidised insurance scheme, or something.
As it stands the petition includes free care for the wealthiest generation - pensioners. 'Emergencies' - what counts as an emergency?
Also what pets. Just dogs and cats? What about parrots and iguanas?
Added to the overall fact that as a society it's not in anybody's interests to have MORE animals rather than less. Pets bring benefits, but they're also a responsibility and bad for the environment.
We don't want to be encouraging people to have them with freebies.

Nobody is going to want to subsidise other people's pets from their tax money.

It limited the recipients and the thought that NHS means comprehensive is stunning!

Pets are property not a human right. Nothing to do with the government to restrict unless they are being abused.

We don't know how many will sign the petition by the time it ends. Pensioners are not exactly the wealthiest generation unless you count money that some have tied up in houses. Why is everyone so envious of everyone else? They have worked all their lives and just as their animals are likely to get old along with them, their income drops, insurance cuts off, and their animals get age related illnesses.

We should be encouraging as many people as possible to have pets to combat loneliness and stress to name but 2 benefits of pet ownership.

My vet practice used to be a PDSA pet aid practice, we live in an area with no PDSA hospital so some practices could PDSA funded care.

The PDSA were forced to withdraw the scheme because people were taking the piss i.e.getting £100 worth of diabetes meds a month. Imagine how much worse and how more entitled people would be if everything was free.

No, OP. We should not be encouraging as many people as possible to get pets to combat loneliness. We should be supporting and helping isolated and/or elderly people in other ways, not encouraging them to have extra and unnecessary expense.

We should not be dictating to people how to live their lives. If they want to keep their pets when they get old or ill why should we force them to give them up?

The NHS doesn't treat every illness or condition. Treatments and drugs are limited to those NICE approves. Not sure why people think it is limitless.

@Speakeasy , I'm not dictating anything. If you can't afford your pet, whatever your age or circumstances that's really sad and I understand that. However, the taxpayer should not subsidise pet ownership, which is optional and a luxury unless it is a working or support animal.

Of course we shouldn’t dictate how people live their lives. But there’s no way anyone could justify taxpayers funding this luxury!

Far cheaper than funding mental health professionals and mopping up the mess when families implode. Pets help people far more than anything else the government provides.

TBH I wouldn't be too thrilled to find out the specialist psychiatric care I sometimes need has been jettisoned in favour of paying to keep Mrs Miggins' decrepit cat hobbling among in pain.

*hobbling along, not among, obviously

You don't see this for other serious, life-threatening illnesses, do you? "A pet NHS would be far cheaper than funding services for cardiovascular disease, pets help far more than anything the government provides". Yes, stroking a pet lowers blood pressure, yes, some regular exercise from walking a dog is good for heart health, but you never hear people like Speakeasy making such sweeping claims about pets being better than healthcare for those things. Only mental health. Funny, that.

This is so dumb it should make it into Mumsnet Classics 🤪

Nope, I don't want my taxes paying for it. Of course I feel sad for the animals who miss out on treatments etc but at the same time people make an active choice to get a pet (which is a weird concept anyway), if they can no longer afford it then sadly I don't think tax payers should pick up the pieces. The only exception for me would be guide and service dogs, I'd hope that they have the care they need subsided if needed. I know invariably the animals end up suffering, but perhaps the more sensible approach is to talk about animal ownership.

Those and other issues were not mentioned because the subject matter was mental health. As it happens even healthcare professionals tell people that daily dog walking or stroking their cat can improve their heart health. And?

They went down the support animal route in the US. Now people argue over whether they can take their pet alligator on the plane with them. Far easier to make support means tested than to fight over what is really an emotional support animal.

Oh, yes, that's the problem - pet alligators etc. So it's just not feasible.