no :

Dog Tax

Aki :

　Dogs are one of the most popular pets in Japan. They are clever and loyal/to their owners. They can make their owners and some passersby/happy. On the other hand,/it is true/that many complaints are made about dogs. For example,/dogs bark loudly/and might bite someone,/which can make the neighbors scared. Also,/when irresponsible owners walk their dogs,/they often leave the dogs’ waste/on the sidewalk. What is worse,/there are even owners/who don’t take care of their dogs/or who abandon them/for selfish reasons. Thus,/some measures need to be taken/to promote owners’ responsibility.
　In fact,/some cities in Germany and the Netherlands/have a dog tax. The owners must pay around 100 euros/for a dog per year,/depending on where they live. If the owners have a second dog,/they must pay more than 100 euros/for that dog. With this taxation,/people are cautious about having a dog,/which can make owners more responsible.
　In Japan,/there used to be a dog tax/in some cities until 1982. Today,/the number of complaints about dogs/is increasing. So/some mayors are thinking about adopting the tax/to respond to such complaints.
　What are your thoughts about a dog tax? Should such a tax be imposed/in our city?

Bob :

　I think/a dog tax is necessary. With the money collected from it,/the local government can take direct measures/against complaints. For example,/regarding loud barking,/the government can provide owners/with education programs/on how to discipline their dogs. As for discarded waste,/the government can place bags and trash cans/on streets. In addition,/the tax can be used/for protecting dogs’ rights. For instance,/the government can build a facility/to take care of abandoned dogs. It can help the dogs/be adopted by new owners. When dogs are abused,/actions to rescue them/can also be taken smoothly.

Chika :

　I don’t think/we need a dog tax. First,/it’s too difficult for the local government/to collect the tax accurately. To avoid the tax,/some owners may abandon their dogs/or may not register them/with the city. This is one of the reasons/why some cities in Japan/did away with a dog tax. Furthermore,/black markets may become popular,/where dogs are sold and bought illegally. Those unregistered dogs can’t get proper immunizations,/which creates an unhealthy environment for them. Also,/what if dog owners can’t afford the tax? They might lose their jobs,/or the amount of tax imposed/might increase dramatically in the future. If that happened to dog owners,/they could not afford their dogs. Again,/such owners would abandon their dogs.

Daisuke :

　I think/imposing a tax on owners/is necessary. The tax prevents them/from owning too many dogs. The other day,/the TV news reported on a person/who kept over 100 dogs. The living environment of the dogs/was terrible. The neighbors said on TV/that they were annoyed with the smell and noise. If there had been a dog tax,/the person might have hesitated/to own so many dogs. In general,/when owners have a limited number of dogs,/they can take better care of them. As a result,/the dogs’ quality of life/will be improved.

Eri :

　I see your point,/but I want to emphasize/that the tax is unfair. Dog owners may wonder/why taxation applies only to dogs,/not to all kinds of pets. I believe/that paying only a consumption tax/is fair. All pet owners pay a consumption tax/when they buy a pet itself, pet food, and pet insurance,/to name a few. That’s enough. A dog tax isn’t necessary.

Aki :

　Well,/thanks for thinking critically/about a dog tax. Your discussion gave me a lot of new perspectives. In particular,/I like the idea/of improving the dogs’ quality of life. I’d like to hear more opinions. So/let’s continue our discussion.