With veterinary care out of reach so many Americans, the Justice Department wants to know why. This week the DOJ filed a statement of interest in a private lawsuit challenging accreditation standards and procedures employed by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
“Pets and animals give us so much in life and form the backbone of American food security, but their healthcare needs can add up over time,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Dina Kallay of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Justice Department is committed to supporting pet owners, livestock farmers, and aspiring veterinarians by ensuring that accreditation standards and procedures do not unnecessarily restrict competition in veterinary education and services. Free markets succeed when there is robust competition unhindered by unnecessary restrictions. Veterinarian services are no exception to this rule.”
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According to a recent Gallup survey of 2,500 cat and dog owners, just over half of respondents had not taken their pets to the veterinarian in the past year, even when care was needed or recommended.
There are 34 veterinary schools in the United States. All of them are accredited by the AVMA. In the lawsuit, an accredited veterinary school alleges that the AVMA has effectively reinterpreted its research accreditation standard to require schools to adopt a high-cost research model with an on-site teaching hospital. The plaintiff alleges the practice not only jeopardizes its accreditation, but also prevents new veterinary colleges from opening and unreasonably raises the cost of veterinary education.
The DOJ does not take a position on the lawsuit. The statement of interest explains that, when establishing accreditation standards and assessing conformance with them, professional associations must comply with the antitrust laws.
As vet costs rise, so do pet surrenders
Back in July, Straight Arrow News took a hard look at pet surrenders and the cost of care. At Second Chance Ranch in High Ridge, Missouri, founder Tracy Rumpf said both the number of pet surrenders and the cost of care are rising.
“A lot of people, in the last couple of years we’ve noticed, are surrendering their dogs because they can’t afford them anymore — can’t afford their dental, can’t afford preventive, even sometimes food,” Rumpf said.
Veterinary bills can be considerable. Rumpf said that in April, she wrote a check for $26,000 to cover just six weeks of expenses. Dr. Leah Cohn with the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center said the cost of care continues to climb.
“The cost of veterinary care has risen. There’s no doubt about it,” Cohn said. “It really doesn’t matter if you’re putting an animal through a CT scanner or a person through a CT scanner; same thing for a number of other tools and equipment.”
With vet schools and pet owners looking for answers, lawsuits begin to surface. The DOJ’s statement of interest explains that accreditation practices are not exempt from the antitrust laws merely because states require veterinarians to graduate from accredited schools, and the AVMA has been recognized as an accreditor under federal law.
