When remaking my will, I always include my furry children and birds. Whether we like to think about or not, we all will pass over the rainbow bridge one of these days. This is what I do and suggest you do according to your situation:
- Make a bio of each pet - include idiosyncrasies, age, any medical info, your veterinarian's name and phone number, food likes and dislikes. How they act around other cats/dogs, etc. Sometimes a cat/dog needs to be in a single cat/dog environment despite the fact he/she lived together with other pets previously. For instance, I have two cats who live together, but are not friends. However, my other pets need to be kept together, if at all possible.
- Canvass your friends, children, relatives - who will take one or more of your pets and treat them in the same style in which you treat them presently. It is important that none of them go to shelters, especially shelters where the usual holding time is limited to 7-10 days. Although, most shelters do try to prioritize older pets who's owners have died, 2 weeks is often not sufficient time to properly place a frightened, withdrawn pet into a loving home. Pets get depressed too! Non-kill shelters give a better chance and more time to find a new home, but most often they are full and unable to take a new pet on the short notice. Rescue groups are usually very willing to help, but again, someone needs to foster your pet for a time while paperwork and the necessary connections are made.
- Once you've made arrangements with your friend or relative for your pet's care in the future, list these people in your will along with pet's name(s) and designate money to each for their care. (Leona Helmsley overdid it a little!). Please be reasonable, but not stingy - we all have an idea of how much feeding and veterinary care costs on a yearly basis for each pet. You should also make a provision as to what should happen with your pet if the designated person no longer wishes or cannot keep your pet after a time. In other words – a backup.
- Although you can, I do not use an attorney to revise my will periodically. Instead, I follow the original form and add two witnesses at the end with a notary. Please don't forget to leave a copy with the person who will be the executor after each revision. This is perfectly legal, but you can check with an attorney. You can also have the attorney prepare your will and update it time to time.
Check with a professional to make sure you are legally secure.
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It is important to think about your pet(s) no matter what your age may be. An accident, unforeseen illness, sudden entry to a nursing home or an unexpected death can, unfortunately, strike at anytime, leaving your pets behind in a dire situation. Yes, we all hope that a caring relative or a friend will step in and give a loving home for your grieving, confused pet …. but unfortunately, in many cases, your dog, cat or bird can easily end up in dire straights. A will or a trust (or both) should be looked into. (The Humane Society has a section on their website dealing with the choice of which is better for you and your pet situation:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/providing_for_your_pets_future_without_you/j_which_is_right_for_you_a_will_or_a_trust.html
Remembering pets in your will or trust is part of being a responsible pet owner. We all love our furry and feathered friends dearly, they are part of our everyday lives and our family. Each year thousands of pets become homeless, are dumped or euthanized because proper care has not been pre-arranged for them. Also, in today's struggling economy it may be more difficult to convince a friend or relative to take the responsibility of adding an extra pet to their household without any financial backup. After their beloved owner has passed away, without the proper paperwork and expressed intent strangers, an animal shelter, or a rescue group may be left to dictate the future of your pet.
Please don't wait, don't let this happen to your pet. He/she is here for you unconditionally 24/7 while you are around. Please secure them a loving and caring home once you are no longer here to be with them.
There are many forms you can use - here is a link to sample language:
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/providing_for_your_pets_future_without_you/d_sample_language_for_your_will.html
Emergency Pet Notification wallet cards
ReplyDeleteTo protect your pets in case of an unexpected emergency which keeps you from your home for an extended period of time, one idea is to make a Pet Notification card for your wallet.
I keep one in my wallet that says the following:
*** PET NOTIFICATION ***
We have a pet at our house. If anything happens to us, please take care of this pet.
"Pet Name and type"
"Address"
This card is printed on red paper, laminated, and appears as the first card in my wallet. Hopefully, if there is an emergency (e.g. a car wreck) someone from emergency services will at least notify someone in your town about your pet so they can help care for the pet while you're away.
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- David Craig