The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) is calling for a federal government tax rebate for pet insurance as more people are stung for unexpectedly high vet bills.

AVA President, Warwick Vale, told Gareth Parker the whole community benefits from pet ownership, and the government should step in to assist.

“We’d like the community, and the government in particular, to look at the provision of veterinary services in a different way,” he said on 6PR Breakfast.

“We believe that pet ownership delivers a massive benefit to the community, both in terms of health and wellness … and that that benefit the community gets needs to be supported and recognised.

“And unfortunately there are some people that haven’t got a safety net, and their pets don’t have that safety net, and we’d like to encourage the community and government to look at all the means it can to provide that safety net.”

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