According to Congressman Don Young-Alaska, the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years (HAPPY) Act is currently stalled in the US House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means.  The HAPPY Act would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and create a tax credit for expenses related to pet care.  This would allow pet owners to deduct up to $3,500 annually for pet care expenses.  This is important legislation, especially now, when the recession is causing people to abandon the pets they can't afford. 

The bill was introduced on July 31, 2009 by Representative Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) to create a tax credit for pet care expenses.  This legislation would allow for responsible pet owners to claim a tax credit up to $3,500 per year, to ease the burden of pet related expenses.  Approximately 60% of American households include some kind of domestic animal.  When animals get sick or require a veterinarian's services, the bills can often become daunting for pet owners.  Unfortunately, the current recession has forced financially struggling pet-owners to leave their pets at animal shelters at an alarmingly increasing rate.

The proposed tax credit would not include the initial cost to purchase a pet.  It would also exclude animals used for laboratory testing or other business ventures such as raising animals for livestock. 

We must get this bill out of committee and onto the House floor, where it can be voted on and passed into legislation.

How You Can Help

Please go the House committee web page and use the contact form to ask the committee members to move H.R. 3501, the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years (HAPPY) Act along.  Tell the committee that this ACT is important to you, that it will help Americans keep their companion animals in this economically troubled time.  Ask that members support the Act and move it along.

Although Representative Young is not a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Alaskans can go to Congressman Don Young's website to voice support for the bill and to urge passage of bill. 

Readers residing in other states can check whether or not your Congressional representative is on the House Committee on Ways and Means.  Click on the name of your representative and you will be able to go directly to their website for contact information.  CALL your representative's office and ask that s/he help move H.R. 3501 (HAPPY Act) out of committee so that is can be voted on and passed into law.

Last, but not least, forward this message to all your contacts--ask your friends, family, and co-workers to do the same.  Politicians understand NUMBERS and we need to make sure our congressional leaders know there are large numbers of voters who want the legislation passed.

Image by Best Friends photographer