Caring For Your Pet After Death or Disability

If you have a pet or pets, you probably think of them as part of your family.  You do whatever you can to keep them safe, and make sure they’re healthy and happy.  You might even spoil them occasionally.  However, what will you do if you’re not able to take care of them anymore?  What if you become disabled or you have to move to a nursing home?  What if you unexpectedly pass on?  While no one likes to think of these things, they are real concerns. 

Most people usually have instructions on how to take care of their family, home, and possessions if anything were to happen to them.  Unfortunately, not everyone does the same for their pets.  They assume that a friend or family member will automatically take care of them, and maybe this is true in your case.  However, it doesn’t always work out like this.  So, what can you do to make sure your pets are always taken care of?  Well, there are a few things you need to do.

First of all, you need to decide who will be able to take care of your pet if you’re no longer able to care for them.  You need to choose someone that you trust and know will respect your wishes.  You might even want a backup just in case the person decides they don’t want to handle it.  If you don’t have someone close to you that can take care of your pet, you can also appoint someone that will make sure your pet goes to a good home.  This could be your vet or even a local animal group.  There are even organizations online that will do this for you if you pay a small fee.

When you decide who you want to take care of your pet, you need to sit down with this person and make sure they’re willing to take on this responsibility.  If they are, you can make sure they fully understand what you want.  You should let them know your wishes for how your pet will be cared for and if you plan to leave any money for the care of your pet.  You might even want to have all of this on paper just to be sure.  If you want, you can have the instructions in your will, so there’s no confusion about your wishes. 

Once you have someone that is willing and able to take care of your pet, you need to decide if this is all you need to do.  Some people are comfortable knowing they have the word of a friend or family member to take care of their pet.  Others want a little more insurance.  If you want to know for certain that your pet is taken care of, you can always set up a trust for your pet.  This allows you to set aside money for your pet to be taken care of.  You will also outline the specifics of how your pet should be taken care of.  You then appoint a trustee that will oversee the money and your wishes to make sure everything is done exactly as you want.  An attorney can help you with this.

It’s not always easy to think about the future, especially when you’re planning for the worst.  However, if you love your pet and want them taken care of, even when you’re not able to do so, it’s important for you to plan for all of the possibilities.  This way you’ll know that you’ve done what’s best for your pet.