Don’t Let Costs of Veterinary Services Increase in California

Dear Sarah,

As one way of “dealing” with the current budget crisis, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has recklessly proposed the Fido Fine to extend the sales tax to veterinary services.

The Governor just released his 2009-2010 budget proposal, and he hasn’t dropped the
Fido Fine. If the Governor gets his way, the cost of veterinary care for all animals in California, including those in families, on farms and in shelters, would go up by as much as 10%.

TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite phone call to Governor Schwarzenegger at 916-445-2841 to urge him to drop the Fido Fine from the 2009-2010 budget proposal. When you call, please select your language choice and then press 5 to leave your opinion on this issue. Remember to be polite and professional, and leave your name and address so it is clear that you are a California resident. You can say:

“Hello, my name is [your name] and I’m calling from [your town] to urge Governor Schwarzenegger to remove the Fido Fine from the 2009-2010 budget proposal. Veterinary care is not a luxury and taxing it will lead to suffering, abandonment and higher costs for local humane agencies that are already overwhelmed and underfunded. Thank you.”

After making your call, please send a follow-up email to your state legislators in opposition to this tax. And don’t forget to tell your friends and family in California how they can take action, too.

Thank you for all you do for animals.

Sincerely,

Mike Markarian
Executive Vice President
The Humane Society of the United States