Who will care for your pets when you die?

[larknm]

DH and I have four dogs and a bird and have looked at sanctuaries for the dogs, but the one we found that we like, it turns out the owner has a recurrence of cancer, so we don't know how long the sanctuary will continue. Our two older dogs need to not be separated, and even more so our two younger ones. Our bird will go to the people who made our wills. But none of this feels stable all the time, and I'm wondering what kind of arrangements others have made.

[treehugger]

This is a good topic, larknm, something important to think about. Our greyhounds would go back to the rescue group (it's actually in the adoption contract). My mom has agreed to take my cat.

Kara

[reader99]

I've hesitated to get a pet for that very reason.

My late husband's parrot stayed with me for a year, but she was bored. They're flock animals. I took her to live with my husband's son and his family, two kids, two dogs, a cat and a turtle, and now they have a second bird as well, so she is very happy.

I've told a church friend I would take her indoor cat, partly because he is already past middle age so I should live long enough to care for him.

I know there are many rescues and no-kill shelters, perhaps not all ideal but probably better than being left to go feral. If I had a pet I think I'd research that and leave a list where my executors or family would find it.

[goldensmom]

A provision of our will(s) is that the executor/personal representative find an appropriate home (which can be the PR) for any pets that we have at the time of death. The type of home required is outlined in the will and also that, if more than one, they be kept together. The person who takes our pet(s) gets half of our estate.

[razz]

I won't get a young dog for that reason.

[Spartana]

Over the last 10 years I have had about 6 pets of my ownplus 2 inherieted ones - now only one. In my will I leave everything to my sister including care of my pet(s) which she can keep herself or find her a good home. If she passes away before me then all my not-so-vast estate will go to the Best Friends Animal Sancuary in Kanab, Utah with the stipulation that they take in whatever pets I have, find them homes, or care for them the rest of their lives.

After my last pet passed away a few years ago, i was finally able to follow my dream of getting rid of everything I owned to travel, grundgy backpacker style, around the world for a few years. My sister wanted to do this too and we both decided neither of us would get pets again unless we made arrangements with other people to care for them if we died since neither of us wanted to be tied down by pets again - especialy other peoples pets. Unfortunately (DANGER! WHINE AHEAD!!!) the same couldn't be said for my Dad. Shortly before he died, and when he knew he had an anyurism, he choose to get 2 young dogs. I begged him not too because I knew that I would be the one to have to care for them - or at least find them homes - yet he wanted more pets so he got them. he passed away about 3 months afterwards and so I inhereited his dogs. After spending more than a year trying to find them homes, and unable too, I ended up keeping them. So my plans were dashed because my Dad choose not to make arrangements for hios dogs. One has since passed away and the other is adorable so she, instead of my sister, will be my domestic travel compainion - once she stops barking endlessly that is!! But please, don't tie others to caring for your pets unless they are onboard with it. It can be a very drastic lifestyle change that the others may not want.

[jennipurrr]

I mentioned in the other thread I have it detailed who will take our 5 animals should DH and I both die at the same time. Since we are both in our 30s this is highly unlikely, but you never know. I asked each person and did tell them all expenses would be taken care of. All of the people are relatives or close friends and rebuffed the financial aspect but I would rather the animals come with a chunk of cash so that they do not seem like a burden to anyone as they age.

Three of our animals (two dogs, one cat) are about age 13 so I doubt all this will be necessary. After our aged group passes away we are going to stick with one dog and one (or two, if the alpha female kitty in my avatar will permit) cats. Then I won't be so concerned with farming them out should something unexpected happen.

On a related note...an elderly neighbor who is a cat hoarder moved out of the neighborhood this week. She and 30+ cats were going to live near her daughter several states away. She loaded them all up in a uhaul! It seemed crazy. I would hate to have to take care of all those animals should she pass away.

[Wildflower]

We have 6 pets now, 3 dogs, 3 cats. They are all very elderly, except for our 3 year old dog. We don't plan on having anymore pets as the old ones pass. Goal is to downsize to one dog for our latter years, mainly so as not to burden our DD too much - she has already volunteered to take on our pet or pets when we pass. One dog it will be, hopefully, by then.... I will miss our pack though. It's been fun and sometimes challenging having multiple pets, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.... But time for change as we age, and our health challenges figure in there too.

[Gardenarian]

We have a friend who loves our two dogs and has agreed to take care of them should anything happen to us.
We have written this into our will.

[Miss Cellane]

My sister has agreed to take my cat if I die. If she feels that she can't take proper care of the wee beastie, she will keep the cat until she finds her a good home. First choice of a good home is my sister-in-law and brother, who have volunteered to take my cat, as they love animals, have several cats and a dog, and have met my cat and like her. Distance is the main issue--my sister lives in town. Getting the cat to SIL's house would mean an 8 hour car ride with a very unhappy cat.

[larknm]

Good to hear the things you all are taking into consideration about this decision. One of my two life goals is to outlive our animals so we don't have to worry about the possibility of a mismatch between them and future caregivers. Two of our dogs have personality problems that it's taken us years to modify by carefully structuring their environments but would pop up again in adverse circumstances, and all four have orthopedic problems. This summer if we pay off our HELOC, which is the smaller of our two mortgages, we can try to save enough money to take a trip to Best Friends--not so far from us in NM--and check it out. I've heard great things about them through the years, except a report that since financial crunch they've had to let go of many staff and the dogs in the back part of the place are neglected. I've always thought we'd pay far the care, but half our money seems right, though that may not be enough to make recipients jump for joy. We are very attuned to our dogs and can't imagine anyone else being equally so, but there are other important things people could provide for them, plus maybe having been beloved for all their lives will stand them in good stead in adapting to other cirumstances. I suspect we flatter ourselves, but. . . . My other long-lifetime goal is to find ways DH and I can keep each other out of nursing homes or any other institutions (hospitals) and offer each other a better alternative. Some of this by planning in advance for the one who will die second. As we get into our 70's, I used to think goals don't apply anymore, but today I think they become fewer and very focused and that how-to bring them about becomes interesting.

[iris lilies]

I haven't responded to this because this was the biggest thing in our wills.

The cats are a bigger issues than the dogs. In the end, I'll ask my brother to take them. He's a cat man, and he and his wife already have 3 or is it 4?

I guess I would turn the dogs over to breed rescue with a sizeable lump of money to go along with each one, but because we have such a parade of dogs through our house it's practically impossible to have a complete list of dogs unless we update the will 2X annually. I'm going to have to set up our will so that I can make unofficial attachments and recommend outcome for each dog. I don't automatically think each one should be placed in a home.

In our current crop of dogs only one is eminately adoptable, and she is beautiful and well behaved. For the others, one is sweet but very old, and her daughter bites humans. These two are problematic, we took them because their owners wanted them adopted together (usually very difficult) and now, two years later, they are even older and one now bites.

[catherine]

Geez, never gave that a thought. We have a 4-year old border collie/lab/terrier, so I'm thinking we're outliving her, God willing, and if we do, I'll take it from there. Luckily I have kids that love dogs. I'm bad at doing the things I should be doing, like people wills, never mind dog wills, so Nessie's going to have to wait in line.

[HumboldtGurl]

GREAT question! So many pets end up in shelters after their owners pass on and the survivors don't want the animal (boo!). We have our dog's care spelled out in our living trust, but we also plan on getting a pet care trust. Last year we met the guy who founded this company and we like what they offer (we have no affiliation with this company)

Trusted Pet Partners (http://www.trustedpetpartners.com/default.aspx)

A pet care trust is the only legal document that will ensure the health and well-being of your pet(s), should anything happen to you. Be certain they will be cared for according to your wishes.


Protects your pet's future when you're not there.
Provides continued care as if you were there
You choose who will care for your pet
Contains a pet care guide to use when you are away/traveling
Pets are the legal beneficiaries only in a pet care trust.

It is simple to set up a pet care trust online.

[Miss Cellane]

and the survivors don't want the animal (boo!).

In fairness to the survivors, if they wanted a pet, they'd have a pet. Do I like my brother's dog? Yes, I do. Do I have a lifestyle that can easily fit a dog? No, I don't. Small apartment, no yard. I'd have to walk the dog several times a day, and hope that it could go the nine hours I'm away at work without an accident. Since the dog in question is a bouncy, energetic Lab, I don't think she'd be at all happy living with just me in a small apartment. And my cat would be very displeased.

It's nice if the survivors will take on a pet after the owner dies. But there are many, many reasons why that might not be possible. I don't think people should be judged because they can't take on someone's pet.

I'm in my early 50s. When my cat dies, and she's 18 so it's a matter of time now, I'll get another cat. I've never had a kitten, just rescued stray cats that have shown up. I recently realized that if I ever want a kitten, it will have to be my next cat. There's a good chance I'd outlive the cat if I got a kitten in the next couple of years. But after that, it will only be older cats for me, in the hope that I'll outlive them.

[awakenedsoul]

I have a fifteen year old chicken. She's still going strong. I think I will outlive her, though. I'm not really sure who could take my pets if I die before they do. I have two dogs. My mom loves the purebred German shepherd, (and has asked if she can have her,) but the shepherd mix has problems. She was very abused. I need to put aside plenty of money for their care, and include that in my will. We have a dog rescue here called New Leash On Life that's beautiful. I guess that would work, if no one else wanted to do it.
It actually would be a good business. If you love animals, you could volunteer your home. People will pay for someone they trust. I used to be a pet sitter, and I was booked solid.

larknm,
I got one of my dogs through PAWS in NM. The woman's name was Acenath La Rue, and she was really nice. She matched me with one of the sweetest dogs I ever had in my life. It was near Santa Fe.

[larknm]

Awakenedsoul, thank you so much for your specificity in giving me the name of a nearby good resource--I'll try to track her down. This could be such a relief.

[frugalone]

That's a darned good question. I need to give my sister a key to our house in case s/thing happens to both of us, then she can get in and rescue the pets.

Also we have a tortoise who might outlive us. I might have to put him in my will.

[awakenedsoul]

Awakenedsoul, thank you so much for your specificity in giving me the name of a nearby good resource--I'll try to track her down. This could be such a relief.

You're welcome. I hope they're still there. I was very impressed with their work. Acenath was really kind.

[fidgiegirl]

Pets are the legal beneficiaries only in a pet care trust.

Is this even legally possible? I guess I wouldn't be surprised either way!

[fidgiegirl]

This thread has me thinking more about my parents' animals than my own. They have five miniature horses, four dogs (one is on the cusp of death) and now a friendly barn cat has shown up. They talk about "thinning the herd" but I'll believe that when I see it - they are very much animal people and all their animals have found them rather than the other way around.

I think the minis would have to go to a horse rescue - I don't know how we could care for them when we live an hour away, though maybe there would be some local people who could help us out with feeding, etc. until we could make arrangements - and hopefully there would be some money from my parents (doubtful) or from us & my sibs to go with them along to the rescue group. Maybe they could be sold? I suppose so but that would be effort in advertising, showing, getting them all cleaned up and caught up on vet care, etc. My dad has said they are of desirable stature for minis, but who knows. We know next to nothing about horses. Eeeeek.

The dogs are small and cute, we couldn't take them all, if any, but I'm sure a rescue would take them.

Our own dogs could each go back to their respective rescue organizations though to be honest I don't even know if Corky's is operating anymore . . . my parents would also likely take them if need be, but their dogs don't get very robust vet care there, although they are all happy. But I've never asked my parents about this.

So much depends on circumstances, I guess . . . I mean, God forbid we're hit by a bus tomorrow, the dogs would almost certainly go to my parents' house. My parents are both healthy and the dogs know their house and my parents love our dogs, etc. But a few years down the road? And if it's just one of my parents? The more likely scenario is that they will go before us.

I dislike the thought of foisting off animals on rescues when there are other alternatives but I guess that is the beauty of them - when there aren't those alternatives and frankly, if I'm dead so I won't really be lookin' for 'em, then there is a network of supporters who aren't willing for the animals to just run wild or be put in a bad situation.