1,000 signatures reached
To: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Make Pet Care Affordable
It’s time to break the corporate stranglehold on vet care, so that no family is ever forced to choose between financial ruin and the life of their best friend. We support a strict £21 legal cap on vet prescription fees and forcing every vet to publish clear, honest price lists for their treatments.
Why is this important?
Corporate greed has turned our love for our pets into a cash cow.
Big companies are buying up local vets and hiking up prices, while struggling households are forced into debt for pet care they could be getting for a fraction of the cost.
But right now, we have a once-in-a-generation chance to break the corporate stranglehold on vet care. New proposed reforms could cap what vets can charge us. But the corporate vet lobby is already piling on the pressure to water down the proposal before they come into effect.
We only have weeks to mobilise and secure these new rules from those who want to keep charging us eye-watering overheads.
Corporate chains now quietly own about 60% of all UK vet practices, but they often hide their branding. So you might think you’re supporting a local independent vet, while actually paying massive corporate mark-ups.
Vet costs increased by a staggering 63% between 2016 and 2023, and nearly 1 in 4 pet owners have skipped meals or kept their heating off to keep up with pet costs. Meanwhile, vets are holding us hostage, charging upwards of £30 just to write a prescription on a piece of paper.
The good news? The proposed regulations could force vets to publish clear price lists, provide written estimates for bills over £500, and, critically, cap prescription fees at £21.
But the clock is ticking to lock in these life-saving reforms. Acting right now can make the difference between families all over the country keeping their beloved pets, and being forced to say a heartbreaking goodbye.
Sign the petition in support of affordable pet care, and share it with every pet owner you know – let’s build the biggest petition for our four-legged friends in UK history!
