May 2015
The Honorable First Name Last Name
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Representative or Senator Last Name:
On behalf of the 2,900 members of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA), approximately 1,000 small
business owners, and me as a veterinary professional, I am writing to ask you to oppose any proposals which expand
sales tax to include veterinary services. Governor Wolf’s proposal suggests an expansion of sales tax that would impose a
6.6% sales tax on veterinary services under Other Professional Services. Expansion of tax on veterinary medical services
is a direct threat to human health. Veterinarians have long been recognized for their contribution to companion animals
and Pennsylvania agriculture, but it’s time to expand this view to recognize the integral role of veterinary medicine in
public health, food safety, disaster preparedness, and emerging diseases. This role encompasses all aspects of the
diverse practice of veterinary medicine from the companion animal practitioner to the equine veterinarian. Taxation of
services that directly impact on public health is inappropriate.
There is a long list of zoonoses (diseases transmitted between animals and humans) and other diseases where
veterinarians are the first-line of defense. Some examples of those diseases and the veterinarian’s role in human health
protection are:
 Rabies – pet immunization by veterinarians is the principle defense against the spread of this disease to
Pennsylvania’s human populations
 Toxocara Infections – a parasitic infection that may be spread from dogs and cats to humans, especially
children, causing severe disease and possible blindness
 West Nile Encephalitis – affects horses who serve as a sentinel for early detection of the disease and is spread
by infected mosquitoes
 Tuberculosis - a contagious and potentially fatal bacterial disease often contracted through cattle
 Chronic Wasting Disease - a transmissible neurological disease of deer and elk that produces small lesions in
brains of infected animals
 H5N8 Avian Influenza - usually refers to influenza A viruses found chiefly in birds, but infections can occur in
humans and other animal species
Pennsylvania is facing a growing public health challenge. In addition, veterinarians will most likely be the first-line of
defense against bio-terrorism in the food chain.
Please consider these items when you vote:
 The proposed 6.6% sales tax on veterinary services would penalize both veterinarians and their clients who would
be required to pay for the underlying protective service and a tax on top of that. Exemption of public and
agricultural veterinary medical services is only a start. Pennsylvania needs to support and promote the broad
range of vital public health services provided by veterinarians, not tax them.
 The cost of veterinary care has increased as treatment options that were previously reserved for people have
become the standard for pets. The cost of such care is usually not covered by insurance. Therefore, clients are
required to pay out of pocket for care. Unfortunately, an additional 6.6% added to their veterinary bills might
discourage the pursuit of much needed treatment or result in animals being surrendered to shelters or euthanized
prematurely because they are faced with difficult decisions because they cannot afford care.
 Taxation of services no matter how miniscule will translate into decreased demand for medical services that
impact directly on public health.
 Taxation of veterinary services will also affect food and fiber. Food animals require veterinary care. An increase
in the cost would equate to an increase in the price of food and fiber to the Commonwealth’s citizens.
 The cost of this tax will exceed 6.6% as veterinarians are forced to develop additional accounting practices to
track this fee.
 The practice of veterinary medicine in all aspects is an integral contributor to maintenance of the public health.
I urge you to oppose any proposal which expands the state sales tax to include critical animal AND human health services
provided by Doctors of Veterinary Medicine, their hospitals and clinics. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate
to contact PVMA’s Executive Director Charlene Wandzilak at 717-220-1437 or cwandzilak@pavma.org. (you can add
your contact information to this section or replace Charlene’s with yours)
Sincerely,
First Name Last Name, Suffix