Jan 28 2009
Washington State Proposes Special Pet Food Fee
Senate bill 5329, if passed would establish a spay/neuter assistance program, which would be funded by a special companion animal pet food fee in Washington state.
The bill states there are tens of thousands of homeless and stray cats and dogs handled by Washington’s care and control agencies and other area animal welfare organizations each year, which is very costly. Additionally, thousands of homeless pets are dying every year in animal shelters because there are not enough homes for them. Pet overpopulation is a big problem, which the senate bill wants to try to remedy.
The spay/neuter program the bill would create would allow low-income individuals to get their cats and dogs spayed or neutered at a reduced cost. The program would also spay or neuter feral cats.
The spay/neuter assistance program would be funded by a special pet food fee. Each distributor or responsible pet food buyer would be required to pay a fee of $57.50 per ton of food distributed. If a distributor or responsible pet food buyer does not distribute a ton of food within a given reporting period, he or she would not be required to pay the pet food fee.
The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council worries the pet food fee would significantly raise the cost of per pound cat and dog food in retail stores.
If you’d like to read more about this senate bill, you may do so here.
What do you think about this bill? Please tell me in the comments section below.
Sources:
Cat Channel: Pet Food Fee Proposed in Washington State
