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Fido, Fetch My Tax Break!

Longshot GOP bill wants to make pet expenses deductible to boost economy

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 13, 2009 1:52 PM CDT

(Newser) – A bill with appealing benefits for pet owners and advocates alike is crawling through Congress, though it’ll probably be put down without ceremony. The HAPPY Act proposes pet expenses be tax deductible up to $3,500 a year, as a way to stimulate the economy and, of course, encourage human wellbeing. “This is as much a health care bill as any,” a Humane Society official tells ABC News.

How’s that? “It’s a human health issue to ensure that pets are provided with better care because of the role they play in our families,” the exec continues. Watchers find the legislation, introduced by a GOP congressman, curious and at cross purposes with the push for smaller government. “Republicans have been demanding tax simplification, not further complication,” a blogger writes. “The problem with the current tax code is precisely that ‘using the tax code to encourage positive behavior is common practice.’”

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The bill aims to encourage not just animal health, but the wellbeing of human owners as well. (AP Photo)

Actor Robert Davi is a driving force behind the bill. (AP Photo)

A dog and a cat. (AP Photo)

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This money goes back into the economy, and it encourages people to understand the social responsibilities we have toward animals. - Actor Robert Davi, supporter

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Fido, Fetch My Tax Break!