Zoetis Lobbying Drops as Farm Bill and Pet Tax Proposal Advance

Two outside firms also reported third-quarter lobbying income from Zoetis: Williams & Jensen PLLC and Russell Group Inc., at $80,000 each. Together with the in-house report, the three filings total $310,000, down $150,000, or approximately 32.6%, from the second-quarter combined total of $460,000.

The in-house team listed on the filing includes:

• Will Rijksen, vice president and head of global public affairs
• Bill Davis, senior director of U.S. federal and state affairs and a former legislative aide to former Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH)
• Wendy Pinkerton, head of PAC and political affairs

Broader Context

Farm Bill reauthorization

H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, introduced by Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), would reauthorize and revise agricultural programs through fiscal year 2031. The House passed the bill 224-200 on April 30. The Senate Agriculture Committee subsequently reported its own farm bill text with amendments in September, but no final Senate passage has been recorded.

PAW Act of 2025

H.R. 1842, the People and Animals Well-being (PAW) Act of 2025, was introduced March 4, 2025, by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), with Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC) as an original cosponsor. It was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. The supplied legislative record lists four cosponsors and no subsequent committee action.

The bill would allow eligible taxpayers to use health savings accounts and flexible spending arrangements for certain veterinary expenses, subject to annual limits of $1,000 for pet veterinary care and $1,000 for pet health insurance. Qualifying service-animal expenses would not be subject to those annual dollar limits. Sponsors said the proposal would have "little to no impact on federal expenditures."

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), MetLife Inc. and Human Animal Bond Research Institute endorsed the legislation. The AVMA argued that expanding access to veterinary care could improve affordability and help identify and prevent zoonotic diseases.

FDA animal drug user fees

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published fiscal year 2027 animal drug user-fee information on Oct. 5, reflecting the continued operation of the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) framework. The fees support the agency's review of animal drug applications and related regulatory activities.

Congressional engagement

Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) reported visiting a Zoetis facility in Charles City, Iowa, during an Aug. 28, 2025, district tour.

Competitive Landscape

Six organizations were identified in the supplied records as associated with H.R. 1842, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, Pet Food Institute, American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, MetLife Inc., and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. Their involvement reflects interest from veterinary, animal health, insurance, and pharmaceutical organizations in the proposed tax treatment of pet and service-animal expenses.

The Bottom Line

Zoetis maintained the same three lobbying registrants over the past four quarters, while its in-house spending fluctuated. Williams & Jensen increased its quarterly reported income from $60,000 in the fourth quarter of 2025 to $80,000 in each of the first three quarters of the current year, while Russell Group remained at $80,000 per quarter.

The PAW Act remains in the House Ways and Means Committee without further recorded action. Meanwhile, the House-passed Farm, Food, and National Security Act remains subject to Senate consideration, with the Senate Agriculture Committee having advanced separate farm bill language.

Access the Legis1 platform for comprehensive political news, data, and insights

Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article