Pet owner's vet fees petition passes 80k signatures

The cost of Roxy's dental treatment was a shock to her owner Lindsay

A pet owner's petition calling for regulation to ensure fairer and more transparent vets bills has been signed by more than 80,000 people.

The petition calls on Parliament to take action to regulate veterinary services.

Lindsay Taylor, from Urmston, Manchester, said she was "gobsmacked" after getting a bill for £1,500 for dental treatment for one of her two pugs.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it would be launching a formal market investigation.

Lindsay has two pugs called Roxy and Ronnie and says vets' fees should be more "transparent"

Mrs Taylor, 52, launched the petition after getting the £1,500 vet bill for dental treatment carried out on her pug, Roxy.

"I was gobsmacked about the cost and I was expected to pay that upfront despite having pet insurance," she added.

She said she was disappointed that veterinary services were not regulated.

Her petition calls on the government to set up a governing body to regulate clear, fair and transparent disclosure of vet fees.

"This would help pet owners make informed decisions about their pets' healthcare without the fear of hidden costs or unexpected charges," Mrs Taylor added.

Lindsay Taylor is hoping the petition will attract enough support to ensure Parliament debates the issue

Mrs Taylor said she was not expecting so much support for the petition and thanked all those who had signed "for helping make a difference".

Government watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority has looked at thousands of veterinary practice websites and found more than 80% did not list pricing information.

This means owners could be paying too much for medicines or prescriptions, it said.

In May, the CMA announced it would be launching a formal market investigation to find out if consumers are getting the information they need to make informed decisions.

CMA chief executive, Sarah Cardell said: "We've heard from people who are struggling to pay vet bills, potentially overpaying for medicines and don’t always know the best treatment options available to them."

The investigation would also explore whether the regulatory framework was preventing the market from functioning as well as it could, the CMA added.

The vet industry is said to be worth £2bn after the level of pet ownership rose to two-thirds of UK households during the coronavirus pandemic, the CMA has reported.

The British Veterinary Association has said that vets were "fundamentally motivated by animal welfare".