Lately I have been thinking of doing my Will and there are so many decisions to be made because of all the animals we have here on Bluebird Farm. I also get so many listings each week for Deaf Dogs Rock from shelters and family members of recently deceased relatives who cannot take on the needs of a deaf dog. I have five dogs and three horses so I have many things to consider in doing my estate planning.
Who will get my horses, and who will take care of my three hearing dogs? With Nitro and Bud both being “special needs” because they are deaf who can I trust to always be their advocate and take good care of them? Do I set up a trust for each animal? Who will swoop in and provide care in case of an emergency if me and my husband were ever killed in an accident? It is up to all of us to take the time out from our busy lives and plan for our babies in case we are no longer alive to take care of our animal’s welfare.
It also takes a lot of planning and time to set up the proper contact lists, wills and trusts so our animals don’t end up in a shelter on death row. It is crucial to ask each person before hand if they will take your animal for the rest of the animal’s life and love and protect each animal and in return a trust would be set up for each to ensure their well being.
Below are some strategies provided by Nolo.com. Please feel free to share with us what plans you have in place for your animals when you pass away. You never ever know when your last day on earth will be so it is vital to take the steps and talk to the people you trust. Make sure your family and friends know exactly what your final wishes are when it comes to your beloved animals and if they will agree to be a guardian for your animals or at the very least step in if an emergency should occur. I hope you find this information helpful.
~ Christina Lee – Deaf Dogs Rock
From Nolo.com Strategies for Taking Care of Pets
Although you can’t leave money directly to a dog, there are lots of things you can do to make sure your pets well provided for when you can no longer take care of them. You have several options:
Leave your pet (with or without some money) to someone in your will or living trust
If it’s allowed in your state, create a pet trust to leave money for the care of your animal (see “Pet Trusts”)
Sign up with a charitable organization’s program to provide or find a home for your animal
Leave money to one person and the animal to another.
Choose a New Owner for Your Dog
Whether you use a will, living trust, or pet trust to provide for your dog, choosing a new owner is the most important thing you can do to make sure your pet is well taken care of after your death. Remember, legally your dog is an item of property, and when you die, it will have a new owner. Make your decision legally binding by including it in your will. Simply include a provision like this one: “I leave my dog Taffy to my friend Lola Marquez.”
Be sure that the gift of your dog is not a surprise. Talk to the people you want to take the dog, and make sure they are really willing and able to do it. They may adore your dog, but if their children are allergic to it or they live in a high-rise building, they simply may not be in a position to take it.
Because circumstances change—your first choice for someone to take your dog could take a job that requires lots of travel or move into a small apartment—it’s always a good idea to line up a second choice. You should name this person as an alternate beneficiary in your will or trust, too.
If you don’t name a new owner in your will or trust, one of two generally undesirable consequences will result:
Your dog will go to the residuary beneficiary of your will (the beneficiary who inherits everything that’s not taken care of by the rest of the will); or
If you don’t have a will, the dog will go to your next of kin, as determined by state law.
This means that, absent a lucky coincidence, the person who will legally inherit your dog probably won’t be the person you would choose.
Charitable Programs That Provide Homes for Pets
It’s often tough to find someone both willing and able to take care of a dog. Responding to that need, a few programs have sprung up across the country to ensure that pets will have a loving home when their owners can no longer care for them.
After the San Francisco SPCA fought, successfully, to save a dog that was to be put to death after the death of its owner, the SPCA began a special service (called the Sido Service, after the dog that was saved) to find loving homes for the pets of deceased San Francisco SPCA members. The new owners are also entitled to free lifetime veterinary care for the pets at the SPCA’s hospital. (For more information, contact the San Francisco SPCA.)
Some other organizations take a different tack. They themselves will care for your pet for its lifetime, provided you make a large (commonly, around $10,000 to $25,000) gift. Here are a few of these programs:
Washington Animal Rescue League, Guardian Angels program, 71 Oglethorpe Street, NW Washington, DC 20011, 202-726-2556.
Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Perpetual Pet Care Program, Manhattan, KS 66506, 785-532-4378.
Texas A&M University Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center, College Station, TX 77843, 979-845-1188.
Leave Money to the New Owner
It’s a big responsibility to take care of a dog. So when you leave your dog to a new owner, consider also leaving that person some money, to go toward the costs of caring for the dog. It’s usually a good idea, even if you think the new owner can easily afford to pay for the dog’s upkeep. A dog who arrives with a full dinner dish is likely to be more welcome than one who is on the dole.
To read the full article on www.nolo.com, please click here.
