ohmidog!

Times are tough. Companies are going under, and people are losing their jobs. Folks are having trouble paying their mortgages, and they’re losing their homes. Companion animals such as dogs and cats are being abandoned or surrendered at shelters in record numbers. We’re starting to hear about larger animals–cows, horses, and such–being left in fields or barns to starve. State governments are having trouble paying their bills just like the rest of us, and big states like California are doing the “we’ll pay this one now, this one later” juggling act.

So some lamebrain in California had a terrific idea: Let’s extend the sales and use tax to veterinary care. Whoever it was managed to sell the idea to the governor, and legislation to that effect was introduced with the rest of the governor’s tax package.

Right! Let’s make it even harder for people to care for their animals so that even more of them are abandoned. Oh! And while we’re at it, we’ll extend that tax to the shelters as well. And we’ll make food even more expensive by extending it to veterinary care for farm animals. Great!

Fortunately, the California Veterinary Medical Association, the Humane Society, and a massive number of pet-loving Californians had a better idea: Let’s not do this. So many of them called the governor’s office that a special extension had to be installed.

According to CVMA president William Grant, DVM, the idea has been quietly shelved. However, Dr. Grant was obviously not born yesterday. He also warns that now that the idea has taken root, it may return to haunt Californians again and again. Californians and residents of other states need to be vigilant to ensure that this one remains–well, terminated.