A pet is often more than "just an animal" - it can be a companion, a friend, a beloved family member.
And the recession has hit some pet owners hard. People who are losing their jobs or their homes often can't afford the high cost of pet food and veterinary care, forcing wrenching decisions. The elderly, for example, can be faced with the choice of buying their own food and medications or taking care of their pets. Sometimes, they choose the latter.
Steve Dash, director of the Humane Society of Atlantic County, relates the tale of a starving German shepherd whose owners were struggling with bills and house payments and who dropped off the dog at the shelter: "It's a sad story, but hardly unusual," he said.
But as difficult as the choices are for pet owners faced with financial problems, and as expensive as pet care can be, the answer most certainly is not a federal bill that would provide a tax deduction for pets.
The Humanity and Pets Partnered through the Years (HAPPY) Act, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich., would let people deduct as much as $3,500 from their income taxes to pay for pet care. With 62 percent of American homes owning a pet, that bill could cost a lot of tax money at a time when the federal government can least afford it.
The Tax Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit, raises several other good points about this bill: First "qualified pet expenses" includes such a wide variety of undefined things that it could allow people to deduct the cost of new toys and grooming sessions. Even if the deduction is narrowed, the foundation says, it will mean more tax-code complexity.
But the biggest problem is this: The federal debt is mounting. People are worried about the cost of health care for humans and whether it will explode the national deficit. This is not the time to lose more revenue. Nor should the federal government be encouraging pet ownership - which is precisely what a tax break does. Fact is, if you can't afford a pet, don't get one.
But what of the people who already have a beloved pet, but have hit hard times?
There's a better way to ameliorate the problem than a sweeping new tax break. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey accepts donations of pet food. The food bank understands that the same people who need help feeding their families also need help feeding pets.
Donations of pet food can be dropped off at the food bank in Egg Harbor Township, and the agency will distribute them to food pantries in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties, according to Executive Director Margie Barham.
That, in our opinion, would be barking up the right tree.
