While tax season has finally came to an end, the New York State government is preparing for next year with four proposed bills that could make the state the first in the nation to offer tax write-offs for adopted pets.
City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras is supporting the bill, which she believes could prompt more people to adopt pets, reported the New York Post.
Each year approximately 2.7 million animals are euthanized in shelters, according to ASPCA.
Ferreras speculated that many of the euthanizations in New York are due to overcrowding, which these bills presumably could combat.
"Encouraging New Yorkers with a tax credit to adopt pets is not only compassionate but would bring relief to our overburdened animal shelters and to animal lovers who want to adopt but can't afford the initial costs," Ferreras told New York Post.
The four proposed bills, according to The Bark, are as follows:
1. The first bill (S4576-2015), sponsored by Sen. Phil Boyle, R-Nassau County, would offer tax payers $100 per adopted dog or cat, with a maximum of three adopted pets covered per household.
2. The second bill (S2894A-2015), sponsored by Sen. Kevin Parker, D-Brooklyn, would offer tax payers $100 per adopted dog, cat, or other animal, with a maximum of three pets.
3. The third bill (A5182-2015), sponsored by Assembly member Alec Brook-Krasny, D-Brooklyn, would offer tax payers a single $350 credit for an adopted dog or cat.
4. The fourth bill (S3670-2015), sponsored by Sen. Patty Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, would offer tax payers $500 per household pet, with a maximum of three adopted pets, which equals to a credit of up to $1,500.
