SHAH ALAM, Oct 26 — A proposed tax relief for pet care expenses under Budget 2027 could encourage owners to take a more responsible approach to pet ownership, particularly in ensuring their animals are vaccinated and neutered.
Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM) president Kalaivanan Ravichandran said the proposal was a positive development, as maintaining animals’ health requires an ongoing financial commitment.
“Incentives like this indirectly recognise vaccination and neutering as part of responsible pet ownership, rather than merely optional expenses.
“The measure can also encourage more owners to take preventive action, especially those who have previously postponed treatment for their animals due to cost,” he told Media Selangor.
However, efforts to address the stray animal problem should not depend solely on pet owners. Instead, neutering and vaccination programmes for animals living on the streets must be carried out continuously.
Kalaivanan added that the government should also consider extending the tax relief to cover basic health check-ups, veterinary treatment, and microchipping to make pets easier to identify.
He also proposed establishing a National Animal Welfare Fund with an initial allocation of at least RM30 million a year to support animal welfare initiatives, treatment, and more comprehensive control of stray animal populations.
An integrated approach combining incentives for pet owners, preventive programmes, and sustained support for stray animals is essential to addressing animal welfare and population issues in the long term.
Previously, when tabling Budget 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat on October 9, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that individual income tax relief under the lifestyle category will cover pet vaccination costs and the adoption of pets from registered centres.
These expenses will fall under the same RM2,500 limit as purchases of reading materials, personal computers, smartphones, and tablets, as well as subscriptions to the Internet and artificial intelligence services.
