Tax Filers to Help Fund Animal Welfare Commission

by Jennifer Degtjarewsky

Legislation recently enacted by the government of Louisiana calls for the placement on the form used to file state individual tax returns of a checkbox that can be used to donate part or all of any refund due to the Louisiana Animal Welfare Commission.

The legislation, for which the Louisiana Legislature voted unanimously, also calls for individuals to be able to indicate on the form the specific amounts of money they wish to contribute.

Twenty percent of each donation received will be used to cover processing expenses. The remainder will be paid to the Commission "on or before March 1st of the year following the year in which the tax return was filed."

Much of the funding obtained will be used to create and operate spay/neuter clinics intended to reduce the number of homeless cats and dogs in the state.

"Louisiana has a tremendous (animal) overpopulation problem," said a representative of The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Stray cats are everywhere."

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.