Veticare: free pet healthcare proposed for NSW animal owners by Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst

Pet owners in NSW could receive free or low-cost vet care under a bold proposal dubbed ‘veticare’, which supporters believe could reduce the financial barriers to pet care. Have your say.

Pet owners in NSW could receive free or low-cost vet care under a bold proposal dubbed ‘veticare’ that supporters say could reduce the financial barriers to vet care.

Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst is spearheading a push for a Medicare-style scheme for animals in a move to make vet care more accessible and address a spike in the number of pets being neglected or abandoned.

The idea is modelled on a similar proposal by Victorians Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick who introduced a veticare motion that passed that state’s upper house last week.

Ms Hurst said the model – which has not been costed – could allow pensioners and concession card holders to bulk-bill vet care at clinics and provide means-tested subsidies for other pet owners.

She believes a veticare system would also ensure vets are paid for the animal rescue work they perform, and also reduce neglect cases in instances people can’t afford vet treatment.

Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst.

“We know there’s a cost of living crisis and people are talking about cost of cucumbers and lettuce and for people experiencing financial hardship trying to get money to have surgery for an animal can be prohibitive and incredibly stressful,” she said.

“Nobody should ever be having to face a decision to have life saving surgery for a companion animal or end up on the streets and for some people it could be that decision.

“One of the concerns is that unless the financial barriers are addressed, more animals in the future will be abandoned at shelters that are already overrun.”

Ms Hurst said the model was also aimed at reducing industry-wide challenges facing veterinary clinics which are experiencing pressure from soaring pet ownership during the Covid-19 pandemic and staff shortages.

“Vets are under a huge amount of pressure and a lot of the strain is because of cost issues – when someone has a companion animal and it takes $10,000 for a surgery it becomes stressful not only for the owner, but for the vet to deliver that news,” she said.

Monika Biernacki, founder of northern beaches shelter Monika’s Doggie Rescue, supported the idea of veticare system but said it would not a magic bullet to solve the rise in the number of pets being placed into shelters.

The proposal is partly aimed at addressing a rise in dogs being abandoned.

Monika Biernacki, of Doggie Rescue, said record numbers of animals are entering shelters.

“A lot of people during the pandemic have bought pets without a thought about the ongoing costs and with increasing interest rates and cost of living a lot of people are now offloading them,” she said.

“Cheaper or free vet care would reduce some of the barriers because the vet fees are through the roof at the moment.

MP Emma Hurst is currently gauging feedback on the proposal.

“But unfortunately there are some animal owners that don’t even consider vet care and decide to get rid of an animal regardless of costs.”

The Victorian veticare proposal includes a provision for those who work in animal rescue and care to have their annual fee waived as a nod to their services to protecting and caring for animals.

Specialised wildlife hospitals – the majority of which are not government funded – would also be established to help reduce the burden on vets to treat native animals for free.

Ms Hurst said she was currently gauging feedback on the proposal before considering whether to introduce the proposal to parliament.

A NSW Treasury spokesman in a statement said “the government has no current plans for such a proposal”.