I'm so happy to see a tax refund bill for our pets! America loves pets, but sadly many people are "dumping" their pets out to fend for themselves until they starve, die to stravation or disease or get hit by a car on the road or given to a shelter due to the costs of food, vaccines, ect. These pets are "put to sleep" through no fault of their own! There also suffer emotional trauma from being given to strangers, a pet is not a chair that can be gotten rid of because it has become inconvient, a pet deserves to be with his or her family for its lifetime! My husband took his life July 20th, 2009 due to chronic back pain and depression, but when he still felt well enough to get out he would take one of our 5 certified pet threapy dogs to Hospice, Zeeland Hospital(Zeeland, Michigan) and local nursing homes! If not for the pet threapy visit these people may not have gotten a visitor all day. Some patients had fond memories of their own dogs when they lived at home. Our Golden Retriever "DUSTY" met patients from age 1 to over 100 years! Sadly last Christmas Eve "Dusty" crossed the "Rainbow Brdge." Both my Husband and Dusty looked to each other for support during long hours of discomfort as even Dusty had health issues in the end. Dusty always knew that he was going to visit when they pulled up to the hospital, nursing home, or hospice and started to bark, wag his tail, and walk with leash in mouth to make his patients more relaxed and happy! I'm all for the "Happy Act" Bill h.r. 3501

Wow! this would be more than a blessing if we could pass a law to have deductions for your pet. I have pet insurance and I still have paid thousands of dollars for my puppy. For many people we think of our pets as our children and they cost the same amount, if not more. Please please please take this law seriously and into consideration.

I am so surprised and pleased to see that most people feel this would be a good thing. It seems like most of the people who are against it feel that it would allow people to adopt animals they don't want so they can get the deduction. Come on, are there really people out there who believe that?!! You can't deduct expenses you don't have so basically these people would have to go out and adopt an animal, spend money on them and then wait until tax time to get it back or commit tax fraud. Do you really think that people adopt a child to get a tax break? That makes no sense! There are so many people who have animals and love them like children. As many people have said, animals provide stress relief, companionship, exercise, etc. There are so many tax deductions for having children that I think it's only fair for people to have some relief for their other "children". I wasn't able to have children myself and have four precious cats and the sweetest dog in the world instead. I pay taxes for schools and many other things that go towards the children in our community and get nothing back for it and do it without complaining bc I know there is a need for it. I think this is a great idea and would be so helpful in taking care of my precious pets. I would do anything necessary to get my pet the proper care necessary, just like anyone with a child would and the tax break would be very helpful.

After reading some of the comments on here, it always astounds me how many negative, pesimistic people there are in the world which is one of the reasons why the world is in the shape it's in!
There is always, at least, one very negative in the bunch. I'm all for this bill, I hope God willing this bill passes RIGHT AWAY!!! I think it will really help out alot of people that love their pets and choose to keep them, but need the financial help. Pets can take care of them self perfectly fine, just as nature takes care of herself much better than we do, as we have really messed up this planet. However domestic pets depend on us alot now so we need to be much more responsible as pet owners/pet parents. If people in general took the attitude that having a pet is like having a child and not abandoning the pet, as we would not abandon our child, which I don't understand why their is any difference, then we would not have so many abandoned pets. For you negative people out there, I know it's really hard for you to be positive, but when you make an effort to make a change wonderous things happen, keep that in mind...perhaps this bill is way to a better future for pet owneres being helped out. Pet owneres should get a tax break for the money they spend. People are not going to just go out and adopt a pet just to get the tax break and if a few do then...there are always those that are going to do what they do, but you don't not pass a bill because of them, that's very stupid!

I'm in favor of this act. I think it would help decrease the number of pets abandoned, especially in these hard times when pets are being left because their owners have lost their homes, jobs, etc.

This is a great idea on so many levels. FIrst Too many pets are being turned over to shelters because responsible owners can not afford proper medical attention for their pets. That adds financial stress to the rescues and shelters who then must provide the medical care. WIth shelters and rescues facing decreasing donations for support and increased costs of operations this presents a very dangerous situation. If there was a tax relief there is at least the possibility that these pets would be kept in their home, provided the care they need, and reduce the stress on shelters and rescues.
Next The human health factor. It is well documented that pet ownership relieves stress, eases depression, and provides necessary exercise for pet owners. All factors that add to human well ness, a large factory in health care costs today. So, If the government can provide incentives to buy a car, by a house, etc. why shouldn't they provide a way of easing the burden on the care of an important family member and adding to human well ness at the same time?

In additional, I would also like to see a tax incentive for purchasing pet health insurance. For those who believe a person would purchase a pet, pay for licensing, pay for medical attention and pay for pet insurance just to get a tax deduction, remember this. The deduction is only a % of what you spend. There still is a large % out of pocket that you would pay out, so the argument does not hold water. If you are thinking people would buy a pet and falsify records just to get a tax deduction, then you have to apply that argument to anyone who buys any kind of insurance to file a false claim, people who fake marriages for tax incentives, etc. Certain people will always find ways to cheat the system. These fortunately are the small minority.

If we prohibit the majority of good people from being helped by a program then we should eliminate every program. Most likely, someone is abusing every program in existence. We have to focus on the good. And the concept of tax relieve for pet care is one of the best.

I think this is great. There are tax deductions for kids but that doesn't mean people have kids just for the deduction. I personally do not have kids, but have had my share of medically needy pets. The deduction would have been a great help towards offsetting their medical bills. There are many needy animals in need of adoption. Perhaps if people weren't afraid of the expense, they may be more willing to adopt. And animals do make for a happier, healthier lifestyle and America needs that. Love the idea!

It will be used as a tax dodge by the unscrupulous and run our country even deeper in debt. What would be the overall tax cost if the millions of US pet owners took the deduction? And maybe with multiple pets? Is there a limit on the number of deductions? Is a snake a pet or an ant colony considered to be a pet? Thank you but I can care for my cat without the deduction. The question ought to be: will this bill make pets healthier and happier, or will it allow the owners to buy more beer. I fear the answer is more beer.

To many people will see Dollar signs and adopt pets they truly cant afford or dont have time for.... those pets will suffer w/o the necessities and/or companionship most of them need! There is already too many animals being abused or neglected and left in animal shelters, or even worse, to fend for themselves. Why give people an incentive to make this an even bigger problem?!?!?! I say this should be voted NO

Vote NO on this. I feel a tax break would cause more animals to be adopted just so people could get money in their pocket. They would not care about the animal just the money they could receive for having it. There are too many abused and neglected animals now this would only make matters worse. I knew when I got my dogs that it would cost money for vets, food, etc and did not get them just for a possible tax break. I say no to this

This would be good news for the responsible and true animal lover, but I could see those who just want the tax deduction getting animals just because of the tax deduction. We would then have more abused and neglected animals. So as an animal lover, I think I would prefer not to see this bill passed. There are too many irresponsible and just cruel people out there.

I think this is a great idea for the tax deduction for pets care. Of course, I also believe that the expense should be sent in like your W2 to prove you are actually caring for your pet. This is a deduction that should not be abused. It also may help to home unwanted pets. Of course, we want the pets to go to good homes and nothing less than.

It is about time this happens. I have spent more on the care for my pets than I have for myself. These are MY babies. I have even refinanced my home to pay for surgery of my dog. I should have been able to claim her as a treatment for my depression and my mother's mental health during her last years. The dogs gave her a reason to get up daily and do something If my mother fell, which she did often, the dogs would bark to alert us then stay right with her, not letting anyone else close. I firmly believe Baby was more the reason my mother lasted as long as she did instead of all the medication.

I think that those people that own pets should get a tax break , after all we take them to the Doctors when they're sick or hurt, feed them and they give us companionship .

I couldn't find the definition of qualified pet care expenses. Do you have access to that information?