Dog Nail Covers

Conn. tax office spreading the word of July 1 tax increases; many new to ...

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut tax department employees have been busy combing through the Yellow Pages and reaching out to business-related organizations, even the American Kennel Club, to get the word out about a bevy of new taxes set to take effect on Friday.

Many business owners may not realize that state will require them to charge customers sales tax on services ranging from pet grooming and boarding to valet parking at airports, said Sarah Kaufman, a spokeswoman for the Department of Revenue Services.

Meanwhile, that tariff is increasing from 6 percent to 6.35 percent.

The sales tax and other levies were raised and expanded to generate revenue to help cover the new, two-year $40.1 billion state budget.

DRS employees are working with the Connecticut Retail Merchants Association to inform retailers about the higher sales taxes and various changes, such as the end to a $50 exemption for clothing and footwear. They've also contacted professional organizations, including one representing tow truck drivers, whose services were previously exempt from the sale tax.

"We're trying to, as broadly as we can, get the information out there to the appropriate people," Kaufman said.

Word already has reached many of the state's yoga studios about how their services will be taxed as of Friday.

West Hartford Yoga advertised a "sales tax special" on its website, offering 10 percent discount on class registrations fees, June 15-30. Barbara Ruzansky, director of the studio, said she believes the new sales tax will adversely impact students and they no longer will be able to afford yoga classes.

"The response I've gotten from students is, 'we are really living on the edge,'" she said. "That extra is a lot for them."

Dan Markowitz, co-owner of Bikram Yoga in Norwalk, said he's already seen a downturn in business because of the poor economy. He expects there will be a further drop in business because of the tax.

"A lot of people rely on this for their health," he said. "For a lot of people, it might prevent them from practicing."

Chris Hilliard, a co-owner of Unleashed dog daycare in New Milford, said the new tax impacts every aspect of her business, from baths to boarding.

"We are concerned about customers," she said. "It's kind of a luxury as it is. It could drive some customers away."

Other services that will now be taxed include spas; manicures, pedicures and other nail services; packing and crating; cosmetic medical procedures; certain livery services; motor vehicle storage; and various hazardous waste removal services. Also, the cigarette tax is scheduled to increase from $3 to $3.40 per pack. The tax on all tobacco products will climb from 27.5 percent to 50 percent of the wholesale sales price. Regarding cigars, however, the tax will be capped at 50 cents per cigar.

Clipping Your Dogs Nails

Failure to clip your dogs nail can lead to crippling pain in your dog’s paws and could lead to permanent damage and malformation. If clipping dog nails is really not your strong point, take your dog along to your vet or groomer.

The goal is to trim off any bit that protrudes over your dog’s pad so when he stands, his claws should not touch the ground. Fortunately, the more you clip your dog’s nails, the more the nail quick will recede. Therefore, clipping dog nails doesn’t have to be done all at once – take your time.

There are a variety  of nail clippers on the market, but I recommend the guillotine type. If you have a large dog or a Basset Hound, you may need a strong claw cutter- they have incredibly large claws! It’s very important to read the instructions for the nail clipping tool you choose, because they must be used in certain very specific ways. It is also essential to keep a styptic pen within reach just in case you clip into your dog’s quick – but we’ll discuss this later.

A dog’s nail is constructed of a hard outer cover, which protects the quick which is the inner soft part containing blood vessels and tender nerve endings. In dogs with light colored nails, the quick can often been seen as being faintly pinkish in color and is thus easy to avoid cutting into.  In the more common black nailed variety, the quick it totally invisible. In both cases, trimming off little nibbles instead of large slices is more advisable. Keep checking the clipped part of your dog’s nail and look out for a dark spot in the middle of the newly clipped area – this shows the start of the quick – do not cut too far into this. Taking just tiny nibbles, you will then start to see a pale third inner circle. Stop there – or else you are likely to hurt your dog.

Making sure the dog is secure (use another person if you need to), position the tool in the right place, wait for an opportune moment when your dog stops wriggling, double check that the clipper is in the right place and squeeze firmly and smoothly – the nail will just pop off.

Don’t forget your dog’s dew claws. Growing on the inside of his legs and not in contact with the floor, these do not get worn away and will sometimes curl completely over causing your dog to get snagged in things, so these need to be clipped too.

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