Face Off JRA 2014: There should be a public healthcare system for Hong Kong’s pets to help lower vet fees (Affirmative)
Hong Kong needs a public healthcare system for animals because the cost of going to a vet is simply too high. A friend of mine who has a dog says it costs him HK$1,000 just for one check-up. That's more than it costs to see a doctor!
Faced with such high costs, many pet owners will choose not to take their pets to the vet for regular check-ups, only going if their animals show obvious symptoms of disease. That is a problem.
The most serious issue regarding this topic is zoonosis. Zoonosis the process where diseases can be passed between animals and humans. These include diseases such as rabies and bird flu. If people don't take their pets for regular check-ups because they cannot afford it, who knows what other outbreaks of similar diseases could start in Hong Kong.
The city needs a system in place to make sure that the animals in Hong Kong are safe and healthy. Whether for farm animals such as chickens or pets such as cats and dogs, it is important that Hong Kong has an affordable health care system for animals to catch diseases early, and keep them away.
Also, animals and humans are all living beings so why should they be treated differently? I am not an animal rights activist but I think that it is unfair that animals don't have their own healthcare system to keep them healthy. After all, we all want our cute doggies and kitties to be fit and healthy, don't we?