The introduction of a pet tax to promote animal protection is likely to be discussed shortly by the Liberal Democratic Party's federation of Diet members, it has been learned. The federation, led by Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Kunio Hatoyama, aims to improve pet safety by reducing the number of pet owners who abandon their pets. The plan will impose a unified tax on pet purchases. An increasing number of pet owners are abandoning their pets for trivial reasons. About 374,000 pets were taken off the streets by local governments throughout the country as of the end of fiscal 2006, 91 percent of which were euthanized...more...