this thread is meant to be humorous and looked at in context of the time of year

As much as I wish my furry children were tax deductions as a way to improve my life as a single person with no two legged children I think this would have a negative effect on dogs in general. Every tax wise person would get a dog, so you start imposing ok you can have a dog but it requires (x) to be a tax deduction every John, Paul, George and Bob would start doing the minimum to get this. Imagine if guardwork was the minimum for this, can you picture the average guy working 45 hrs a week with a pack of rugrats and a 75lb ill bred GSD coming out to your club for certification only to have them disappear after they got their piece of paper. Again, where would the dogs and even the dog owners themselves gain from this? What would this encourage?

I would also argue that leaving a dog in a car wouldn't save you. The truth of the matter is that valuables in a truck are a calling card to thieves. I would hope that no one would think of using a dog as a guard for a unoccupied vehicle in a warm state.

I myself have no issue with treating a dog as a luxury item, I pay taxes via my dog tags to have this luxury item, I protect and care for them as if they were my most valued object, and I have no issue with a dogs being a priviledge and not a right. It seems only fair to the dogs.

As to the truck my brother-in-law had the same problem. He went to lowes and had left his tools in the back of the truck along with a sleeping American Bulldog. Well aparently the dog wasnt snoring today so a thief walked by not seeing the sleeping dog and descide to help him self to the tools lieing there. Well one thing about bully breed is they dont like to bark that much so the dog just grabed the guys shoulder and started graging him into the back of the truck, and i mean with his legs hanging over the tallgate and all. Guess brother in law forgot to give the dog lunch, but normaly this story would not have a happy ending. Yet, with the dog not barking and just grabing the guy it scarde the man so bad that he admited to trying to steel the tool before he came back to his sences. So no harm to the dog or my brother-in-law.

It cracked me up when my wife told me.

Now to the tax deduction. I am not sure but I trully think with the right accountant you can take that dog off you tax and I am not kiding. I mean insurance companys used to requir some companys to buy dogs. Probly not anymore but they did at one time
and here in the south we coined the frase Junk Yard Dog (they were required to insure you loss). Also, I can not speak for Ed but I would be inclined to believe that dog food and vet bill where tax deductable for a breeder. I mean I have know mean that took there guns off the taxes hard to do but could be done.

The reason I am not just jokeing with you is that I had to pay taxes this year and had to buy dog food this week. Well I have the receit in my desk right now taped to a piece of paper and I swear its comeing off the taxes next year. lol

All joking aside, especially if you run a business from your property, talk to your accountant about "all" the security measures you take. You might be surprised. The laws don't always make logical sense to everyone, but whatever the laws are, that's what they are. I'm personally not above taking advantage of every tax break the laws entitle me to.

I <heart> my accountant.

Beth