We have always had pets in our home. The unconditional love provided by a pet cannot be duplicated. I saw a bumper sticker the other day that made me smile. It said, More Wagging and Less Barking.
There are many benefits to owning animals and lots of articles written about how pets extend your life and reduce the stress. Because our animal friends have shorter life spans, we don’t often think that our pets may have to deal with life beyond ours. But have you thought about what would happen to your animal companion if you died?
My dad owned his beloved cat, Adam. Adam would curl up on his lap every night and watch TV with my dad. We often joked that when something happened to dad, we would need to bury Adam with him.
We spend time documenting our assets, preparing our estate planning documents, and providing for our family members, but we also need to think about making arrangements for our pets.
Here are some steps that you can take in planning for your pet when you are gone.
- Emergency Plan. You need a short-term emergency care plan for your pet in the event you become suddenly ill or die. Talk to a family member, friend or neighbor who would be willing to take care of your pet until the permanent arrangements can be put into place. Give them a key to your home and the feeding and care instructions for each of your animals.
- Pet In Home Notification. Post a sign in your front window or door that alerts any emergency medical team that there is a pet in the home. Post the emergency caregiver name and phone number on your refrigerator and inside your front and back doors so the EMT can contact them.
- Wallet “Alert Card.” Carry a card in your wallet alerting the EMT’s of a pet in the home and the pet care givers information. You can also make a notation in the ICE alert on your cell phone.
- Permanent Pet Caregiver. Make formal arrangements for a permanent caregiver in the event you can no longer care for your animal companion. Maintain your relationship with this person and make sure they continue to be ready and willing to assume the care of your pet. Make sure that your emergency caregiver knows how to contact the permanent caregiver.
- Legal Arrangements. There are numerous ways in which you can provide for your pets after you are gone. Financial resources and designation of the caregiver can be provided for in your will or trust documents. Consult with your attorney to assist in developing the document that best suits your circumstances.
If you do not have anyone who is willing to become the permanent caregiver for your pet, we suggest that you research organizations in your area that can assist in providing foster care and forever home searches for pets of deceased owners. You can also talk to your veterinarian to see if she knows of a good organization that can find the right home for your beloved pet.
Reba Rogers, CPA, is the founder of Secure Aging, a group of care managers who preserve the independence and protect the assets of seniors by helping them with financial management. She is also a Director Consultant for BNI (Business Network International), a referral marketing organization which gives her access to many trusted business professionals in the community.
