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These days, many Maine pet parents are struggling to provide basic veterinary care for their animal family members. If a pet is faced with a medical emergency or diagnosed with a chronic health condition, the costs can quickly become unaffordable, resulting in the pet not receiving the care it needs or forcing the caretaker to make an impossible decision to relinquish the pet. An uptick in owner-surrenders, in turn, places increased stress on our state’s animal shelters and rescues that are already underfunded and over capacity.
Shortly, a bill that would give pet caretakers a small, but much needed break from increasing veterinary costs will be voted on in the Maine Senate and House. If passed, LD 1689, “An Act to Exempt Prescription Pet Medications from Sales Tax,” would create an exemption from the sales and use tax for veterinarian-prescribed medications. The savings this proposal allows would not only benefit pet parents, but also support the many non-profit animal shelters in our state that already face overwhelming veterinary expenses.
Current Maine law exempts medicine and antibiotics for animals from the sales tax when used in animal agricultural production. Why wouldn’t we do the same for our beloved pets?
If you love animals, please contact your senator and House representative today, to ask that they support Maine’s pet parents and animal shelters by voting to pass LD 1689.
Susanna Richer
Portland
