A few years ago, one of my clients made a very special request. His health was failing, and he was worried about his dog's future. He asked if I would be willing to act as Max's caretaker if he passed away or could no longer care for Max. I told him I was honored but I would have to think about it. I told him I couldn't adopt Max myself as I had two cats at home, so I would need to find him a good home. He definitely did not want Max in a shelter. After careful consideration, I said yes, and we drafted a legal document making me Max's legal guardian if needed. He thanked me profusely for giving him the peace of mind knowing his "best friend" would be looked after.
Every year in the United States, close to half a million dogs and cats are placed in shelters due to their owner's death or inability to continue to care for them. Almost all of these animals are adoptable, but due to the trauma of moving from a stable loving home to a crowded and often frightening shelter environment, many of the "orphaned" pets don't do very well. They refuse to eat, become despondent and are categorized as unadoptable and therefore euthanized; and all because the owner didn't plan for the possibility of their pets outliving them.
This doesn't and shouldn't have to happen. By appropriate planning for this contingency, an "orphaned" companion animal can make a fairly smooth transition into a continuing care situation. The planning involves three major steps:
Identify potential caregivers and get their commitment to taking on the responsibility. To find the appropriate caretaker, talk to friends, relatives your veterinarian, or pet sitters, dog walkers, doggie daycare facilities, rescue and other animal welfare organizations. Another option is placing your pet in a Perpetual Care Facility. Many universities with Veterinary Colleges offer this type of care. Animal welfare groups, such as Peace of Mind Dog Rescue, are another possibility. These continuing lifetime care programs are especially good for animals that have "special needs" and may be difficult to place in a private home.
Put together a list of instructions for the pet's ongoing care. The list should include: the pet's diet, location of leash, harness, crate, carrier, litter box, food and water bowls, bed, toys, etc.; Veterinary information and medical records; personality traits, likes and dislikes such as likes other dogs and cats, good with children, likes fetch, doesn't like belly touched as well as a list of the commands the dog /cat knows.
Set up legal documentation and financial arrangements to pay for the lifetime care of the pet. All 50 states and the District of Columbia recognize Pet Trust Statutes. A pet trust statute is a legal method that ensures that your pet will receive continued care, In the trust, the pet owner names the caregiver or guardians for the pet, the instructions for his/her ongoing care, and a method of funding that ongoing care. These trusts can be set up through a lawyer or estate planner or online at a couple of different sites including legalzoom.com and companionpettrust.com.
There is a wealth of information available on this topic on the internet. Start at 2ndchance4pets.org. I urge you to do your planning now... before it's too late.
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