The rising cost of living has impacted pet owners, animal activists, and animal shelter operators and their ability to provide optimal care for their pets or rescue stray animals.

Similarly to previous years, they are seeking the government’s aid in easing their burden through tax exemptions or tax relief for pet ownership.

One of the large costs of pet ownership is the healthcare and well-being of the animals. The cost of veterinary care and medicines can reach thousands of ringgit. In addition, the cost of vaccination, deworming and flea medication, spaying and neutering, and grooming can add up quickly.

The Vibes reported that the cost to neuter a male dog can range from about RM180 to RM300 while neutering a male cat costs about RM120 to RM180.

Meanwhile, spaying a female dog can cost around RM200 to RM400 and spaying a female cat can cost around RM150 to RM250.

The additional costs include the number of days the pet has to be boarded at the clinic and the medications prescribed.

Healthcare costs for pets can be high. Image: TRP File.

What are financial aid or tax relief suggestions?

The President of Stray Animal Foundation Malaysia, Kalaivanan Ravichandran, suggested the government provide a subsidy or financial aid for services like spaying and neutering.

Spaying and neutering are important to control the stray animal population and have a long-term positive impact in reducing unwanted animal disposal problems and controlling cases of animal nuisance.

Kalaivanan stated that by offering subsidies and grants to animal caretakers and shelters, the government can help ensure that the shared responsibility for animal welfare is maintained effectively. Subsidies and grants for animal healthcare can also help poor pet owners care for their pets better.

Meanwhile, pet owners are seeking a form of tax relief in the next federal budget as the monthly expenditure on their pets is relatively high.

One of our colleagues who has close to 40 cats at home will not disclose the exact amount she and her husband spend every month on their furbabies but gives a rough estimate of about RM500 to RM800 for a household of 4-5 cats.

All her cats are rescues or strays who come to their house for food and shelter before ending up as permanent residents.

The cost of litter alone can reach RM350 a month for about 10 cats.

When it comes to food, the price has been increasing quite rapidly for certain brands over the past few years. A bag of 7kg of a top tier kibbles was about RM130 in 2020 but is now at least RM170. Not only that, the weight has been reduced from 7 to 6.6kg.

The cost of a vet visit has also increased significantly. A simple flu visit for 3 kittens can range between RM50 and RM120.

While our colleague is among the many pet owners and rescuers in the country who willingly do all this because they are animal lovers, it would be nice if there was some form of tax relief to ease the financial strain.

What about pet insurance? Basic pet insurance in Malaysia can start from RM40 and above, depending on the type of pet, breed, size, and age.

Image: TRP File

Meanwhile, it’s also suggested that the government can start by giving some relief to cat and dog owners as the first step. After all, more people own cats and dogs than other animals.

The government can also stipulate certain conditions to be fulfilled for pet owners to qualify for tax relief such as only giving tax relief for pets that are licensed and microchipped with an annual vet inspection certificate.

Once the policy is better and consolidated, the government can consider including other animals like parrots and exotic animals.

Another suggestion is to include spaying, neutering, and medical costs for pets under the lifestyle relief.

A netizen explained that it’s reasonable to do so because caring for a pet’s health through vaccination, deworming, and deticking as these measures directly impacts the health and safety of the community. Giving pet owners subsidies for these can encourage them to keep up with their animal’s vaccinations and more.

Last but not least, helping every citizen get better and higher pay will solve many problems. If not, it’s back to games like Neopets, Neko Atsume, and Kleptocats for “affordable” pet ownership. Jk.

Screenshot from Reddit.

Do other countries have similar tax relief for pet owners?

So far, it doesn’t seem like any countries offer tax relief for pet owners. However, in the United States, there are tax reliefs for Service & Emotional Support animals, working animals, farm animals, and performance animals.

Pet owners can also get a tax deduction for moving expenses for pets but they must meet certain conditions by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Donations to pet charities are also tax deductible. Meanwhile, volunteers at animal shelters or rescue organisations can deduct fuel costs.