This Tax Season, Know All About Which Deductions Are Available for Pets

As the annual frenzy to complete our taxes reaches its zenith, it's important to know about all of the deductions for which you and your family may potentially be eligible.

Perhaps your family adopted a rescue companion animal, a video of your cat went viral, and now she has her own social media following, or you work as a pet sitter — all of these scenarios may mean you are eligible for important deductions on your taxes.

If you haven't yet given thought to how your companion animals may help you save on taxes this year, keep reading.

Before we begin, a common-sense disclaimer: While this helpful guide may support your efforts to save on taxes this year, it is important to consult with a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or other accredited tax professional to ensure that you are filing your taxes in accordance with all state and federal regulations.

According to an article on the Intuit TurboTax blog updated in March 2025, there is not a specifically labeled "pet tax credit," but that doesn't mean there aren't deductions for which you (and your companion animal) may be eligible.

So, while you cannot claim your beloved senior rescue cat as a dependent, there are certainly other deductions for which you and your whiskered companions should consider.

Because your service animal provides a medical-related service to you, some of your expenses may be eligible for what's known as a tax write-off, per TurboTax. You'll want to save receipts for all expenses related to your service animal and consult with a tax professional to assess if some or all of these expenses can be written off.

It's important to note that as of 2025, expenses related to emotional support animals may be eligible for a deduction, according to a Figo Pet Insurance blog post.

If you fostered an animal in the past year, you may be eligible to write off certain expenses related to your time spent as a foster parent, too. As the animal behavior and wellness website Kinship explains, expenses like veterinary visits and supplies that weren't covered by the fostering program may be eligible to be written off, so long as you fostered through a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Also, per Figo Pet Insurance, the care and expenses related to "performance animals" — e.g., those who perform in commercials, competitions, are social media influencers, and entertain in other capacities — are eligible for tax deductions.

You may also be eligible for deductions if you set up a trust for your companion animal, donated money or supplies to a non-profit, incurred moving expenses for your pet, or maintained insurance for your animal, in some cases.

According to a blog post by Stride Health, if you are a professional dog walker or pet sitter, many of the business expenses you normally incur in this line of work may also be eligible for tax deductions.

Mileage traveled between clients, expenses for public transportation, cell phone bills for devices used exclusively for your business, business supplies, money spent on marketing, and other similar work-related financial expenditures may all be eligible for tax write-offs.