A group of pet owners is calling on all three political parties to commit to making the cost of vet care more affordable.

The PetOwners Collective is calling for the removal of the provincial portion of the HST from vet bills.

They’re also asking that vet clinics get a break by extending similar tax breaks on the purchase of equipment.

Co-chair Mike Keough says with rising costs, well-meaning pet owners are being forced to make some tough decisions, and it’s the pets that suffer.

“Surgeries can be $20,000 – $30,000,” says Keough.  He says he knows of at least one owner who was recently billed $30,000 for surgery. “90 per cent of that bill was paid by insurance fortunately, so $27,000, leaving $3,000 to be paid out-of-pocket by the owner. On top of the $30,000, there’s 15 per cent sales tax – that’s an additional $4,500. So if you add that, because insurance won’t pay taxes, and the $3,000 for the deductible, that’s $7,500, who can afford that?”

Keough argues that pet owners already richly contribute to the provincial coffers with the purchase of pets supplies and toys and the like.