Dogs, cats, and other household pets are expensive.

It costs an average of $1,270 to $2,800 a year to own a dog.

Unfortunately, the expenses you incur for a family pet that provides you only with love and companionship are never deductible: they are purely personal expenses.

But it is possible to deduct the expenses for a dog, a cat, or another animal if the animal qualifies as a

medical expense,

business expense, or

charitable deduction.

Medical Expenses

The costs of buying, training, and maintaining a dog or another animal qualify as a deductible medical expense if you1

use the animal primarily for medical care, and

would not have paid the expenses but for the disease or illness involved.

Service Animals

You can deduct as medical expenses your costs for service animals.2 A service animal is any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to assist people with disabilities. Service animals are working animals, not pets. Examples of tasks performed by service animals include3

guiding people who are blind/low vision,

alerting people who ... Log in to view full article.