From Del. Glen Glass:
Maryland State Delegate Glen Glass, of Harford and Cecil Counties, and Maryland State Delegate Michael J. Hough, of Frederick and Washington Counties, will be holding a press conference at 12:00PM on Wednesday, February 19, 2014. The press conference will take place on Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis.
Delegate Glass plans to address two of his bills regarding adopted animals. One is House Bill 1358, “Income Tax Credit – Cat and Dog Adoption,” which offers a $100 tax credit for someone who adopts a cat or dog. The other is House Bill 1357, “Income Tax Credit – Veterinary Services for Adopted Police Dogs,” which offers a tax credit of up to $1,000 for the veterinary bills of retired police dogs that are adopted by police officers or others.
Delegate Glass says, “The animal shelters are filled with loving animals that need homes. Dogs and cats always give more than they take. HB 1358 gives people an incentive to adopt a dog or cat from an animal shelter.”
Delegate Glass is also concerned about the rise of pit-bulls in animal shelters. “Pit-bulls need homes too. Due to the court case decision of Tracey v. Solesky, which declared pit-bulls inherently dangerous, many of the animal shelters are inundated with pit-bulls that need homes.”
Delegate Glass and Delegate Hough may also be joined by a member of a local animal shelter during their press conference.
I respect and understand the intent and I would completely separate the $100 adoption tax credit from the police dog adoption element here, but that $100 tax credit does nothing to address the root cause of the problem, meaning we’ll continue to have just as many neglected and unwanted animals as before, perhaps even more. In fact the old adage “want more of something subsidize it, less – tax it” makes much more sense here. Would not responsible and sympathetic pet owners be just as likely to adopt tax credit or not? I think it only encourages the margins of people perhaps not the best pet owners and that’s why so many cats and pit bulls are at the shelter in the first place – crappy owners tend to gravitate towards these animals. Cat owners will tell you how much easier it is to own a cat (translation: I let the freakin’ thing out in the morning and don’t see it again for days), and we won’t even discuss the psychosis surrounding ownership of pits. The animals are not the problem – the people that chose these animals are. $100 tax credit will not change that. Kinda tired of politicians using the tax systems to encourage or discourage behaviors.
Call your accountant before considering a pet adoption. Are there not any pressing issues to be addressed?
Which shelters are inundated with pit bulls? Did you actually call any and ask them? What are you doing to fix the problem with pit bulls? Where do you stand on strict liability? You’re on judiciary yet know nothing about laws.
Typical dumb republican costs the state money for rich people to get 100 to adopt a dog.
Glass you’re an idiot.