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Federal HAPPY bill would help families care for their pets
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Cash the German shepherd came to the Atlantic County Humane Society shelter last summer so thin his ribs were showing. The dog weighed just 45 pounds, Steven Dash said. That's less than half of what he should have been.
His owners were struggling, said Dash, director of the Humane Society of Atlantic County. They could not afford house payments. They could not pay their bills. They could not even afford dog food.
And in the end, when his owners lost their house, they brought their pet to the pound.
It's a sad story, but hardly unusual, Dash said. "In fact, most of the reasons we get animals are for financial reasons," he said.
With similar difficulties across the country, lawmakers in Washington recently proposed legislation that would let people deduct as much as $3,500 from their income taxes to pay for pet care.
The Humanity and Pets Partnered through the Years (HAPPY) Act would exclude farm and lab animals as well as the cost to buy the pet. The bill doesn't specify what animals it considers pets, and the way it is worded could potentially mean deductions for items as diverse as pet food, vet bills and dog beds.
HAPPY was introduced in July and sponsored by U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, a Michigan Republican, who proposed a resolution earlier this year to designate May 17-23 as National Dog Bite Prevention Week.
The bill remains in the House Committee on Ways and Means.
If passed, it could have wide-ranging implications.
A 2009 survey by the American Pet Products Association showed that 62 percent of American homes - 71.4 million - own a pet, up from 56 percent in 1988. The nation's 93.6 million cats outnumber its 77.5 million dogs.
People will spend an estimated $45.4 million on their pets this year, more than 2 times the $17 million spent in 1994.
About $17.4 billion of that will go for pet food. Another $12.2 billion will be spent on vet care, and $10.2 billion on supplies and over-the-counter medicine.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates between 5 million and 7 million pets enter animal shelters every year, and between 3 million and 4 million are euthanized, they said. Animal control officers bring in about half of the animals, while owners give up half.
Dash said a person could easily spend $400 to $500 on veterinarian care, especially for large dogs. And then with all the additional expenses, "The medical expenses would be similar to a child," he said.
But others think the money may be better spent elsewhere.
Conservative activist Tom Snow said the tax break would not make sense because veterinary care is relatively inexpensive.
"The majority of vet expenses incurred are done to spay the animal," said Snow, organizer of the Vineland tea party tax protest, "and that's usually done really cheap by the SPCA, and if you're having a hard time managing that - nah, I don't think there should be a tax credit."
U.S. Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo, R-2nd, an animal lover regularly seen walking his two Weimaraners in Ventnor, was unavailable for comment. His aide said the congressman would review the legislation.
Dash said the bill would be a very good thing if it were passed, but said he could understand how people could oppose it because of the nation's financial constraints.
While the bill faces an uncertain future, Dash said that the dog, Cash, has thrived.
The dog doubled in weight in its two months at the pound, something Dash said "was unheard of." And another veterinarian adopted it a week ago, he said.
Contact Derek Harper:
609-292-4935
Posted in NEW JERSEY on Friday, November 27, 2009 2:35 am
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