Fully Refundable $100.00 Tax Credit for Dog and Cat Spay/Neuter Surgery in the United States.

In 2014, the U.S. euthanized 4 million dogs and cats.  That's 10,959 a day.  There are approximately 23 million pets living in poverty in the U.S. today and approximately 80% for these pets are unaltered.  About 20% of pets overall in United States are unaltered.  Pets in poverty are the most likely to end up in euthanized at local shelters.  Education, adoption and low cost spay/neuter surgery are not enough.  People need a real financial benefit to allow them to have their pets spayed and neutered.

A fully refundable $100.00 tax credit per S/N surgery will help all Americans afford spay/neuter surgery. Pet owners and TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) volunteers need to be commended and compensated for taking cats and dogs in to have S/N surgery. The S/N tax credit would help defray the cost of the surgery, lost salary for time off from work and travel expenses to and from the clinic. It would also promote the surrender of “already” spayed or neutered animals to non-profits or city animal care services saving these facilities money and countless hours of work.

Tax credits are for people taking positive action for themselves, their communities, their states and the United States.  Tax credits currently available are Child Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, Adoption Tax Credit, Home Energy Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, Foreign Tax Credit, Medical Premium Tax Credit, Student Tax Credits, Retirement Savings Contribution Credit, Hybrid/Electric Car Credit, Home Energy Tax Credit and Miscellaneous/Other Tax Credits.  A Dog and Cat Spay/Neuter Tax Credit belongs in this list.

This tax credit of $100.00 per S/N surgery needs to be offered to all taxpaying citizens and made part of the 1040EZ Form and the long form. There should be no annual income minimum or maximum restrictions. It needs to apply to any S/N surgery whether it is free, low cost, discounted or full price. All S/N surgeries must be performed by licensed veterinarians. Having a cat or dog spayed or neutered is expensive in both time and money, stressful and hard work so all surgeries need to be compensated equally. There would be a limit of (5) surgeries aggregate of dogs and cats per tax payer per year. The tax credit would be offset by city budget savings created from the reduced number of dogs and cats euthanized each year.

The euthanasia of millions of unwanted companion animals per year and the sad deaths of unknown numbers of homeless animals of United States is needless and cruel. Our companion animals provide us with unconditional love and we need to return this love through the humane population control method of spay/neuter not euthanasia.

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Congress need to implement a Fully Refundable $100.00 Tax Credit for Dog and Cat Spay/Neuter Surgery in the United States.