Interesting news article about Japanese companies & pets

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080104/...yhz7Jo40Gs0NUE

The company said that pets are lifelong partners, not disposable accessories and that people who have them are obligated to raise them for their entire life, basically. So they are giving the equivalent of $9 a month for workers who have cats and dogs. It doesn't say if that is total or per pet.

The article referenced another Japanese company (a pet food company of all things!) who offers paid leave when a pet passes away.

Interesting little news article.

Sounds like the U.S. could learn something from the Japanese.

I just need to be able to claim them as a deduction on my income tax.

Yea, the USA could learn a lesson from them. Even just a small tax deduction would help save some of them.

No, a tax deduction would be horrible. How many millions of people would go out and get animals if they could deduct them? We need less demand. Less people getting animals. We need to pay to have them. I'd pay if it were a reasonable price.