Making Sure Your Pet is Provided for When You're Gone

Making Sure Your Pet is Provided for When You’re Gone

               No one likes to think about experiencing a long illness, being incapacitated or dying, but, the unexpected can always happen.  You or a loved one may have pets who will need care during or after a long or terminal illness. How do you make sure your pet is cared for after you’re gone or that funds are available for proper care if you are taking in someone’s pet?

               A verbal agreement may be fine among family members—i.e. if mom dies, you inherit her Yorkie and promise to take care of her.  However, it never hurts to have a written contract, especially if it is less certain who will care for a pet after death.  It may also help to name several choices if your first choice caregiver can no longer provide a home for your pet as planned.  Confusion in the wake of an accident or death may mean pets are overlooked or forgotten.  If possible, designate one or two close friends or family members to provide a temporary emergency home in the event something unexpected happens to you.  Provide them with the name of your vet, keys, feeding and care instructions and, if they are not to be your pet’s permanent new home, provide the information regarding who will be taking your pets in.

               Can you just put provisions and name caregivers in your will?  While you certainly can designate provisions and name who you want to care for your pets in your will, remember, a will takes effect only in the event of your death, not in the case of an accident or prolonged illness, and a will may not be formally read in court for days or weeks.  For more immediate access to information and funds regarding care of your pets, a trust set up by a lawyer may be the way to go.  With a trust, funds are set aside to be used for pet care, and the owner of the trust specifies when it goes into effect and who controls the funds.  This could be used in the event of a long period of illness or disability or in the event of one’s death.  Make sure to seek legal assistance if setting up a trust to make sure it is valid and recognized in your state. Having money set aside to care for a pet may be especially important if the pet has a chronic illness that requires long term medical care.  Trusts can be expensive to maintain, so, designating someone to have power of attorney may be a simpler way to provide for your pets.  “Provisions can be inserted in powers of attorney authorizing your attorney-in-fact—the person designated to handle your affairs—to take care of your pets, expend money to do so, and even to place your pets with permanent caregivers if appropriate.” 1

               Make sure your pets are cared for in the event of an illness or death by choosing one or more potential people to provide loving care for your pet, considering a trust fund or designated power of attorney to provide funds to care for your pet and considering designating close friends or family members to provide emergency care and a home to your pet until the permanent caregiver can accept the pet. Planning now will ensure your furry family members are well cared for even if you are no longer able to provide that care.

               This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.

• https://www.petfinder.com/dogs/bringing-a-dog-home/providing-pets-future/

 https://www.thesprucepets.com/plans-for-dog-after-you-die-1117444