When planning for our own future, our pets are often overlooked. A Pet Trust ensures your pet is cared for after you’re gone.
Did you know that nearly 1 million pets are euthanized each year in the U.S. because they’ve been abandoned? Over half of these cases are due to the death or disability of their human companions. What’s worse is that those pets could have been protected with just a little planning. Think about it: what will happen to your pet if you become disabled? What if you’re no longer able to speak for yourself? How can you make sure that your beloved animal doesn’t end up in a shelter somewhere? Or worse, alone on the streets? Because sadly, it happens all the time.
When friends and family of a deceased pet owner are not willing to care for an orphaned pet, an unfortunate common practice is to drive the pet far away from home and dump it. This once-cherished family member is now forced to fend for itself in a world in which it is not equipped to do so. There are few happy endings to this situation.
Our Introduction to the Horrific Practice of Pet Dumping
Leann and I first learned of this heartbreaking practice when we rescued our cat, Charlie. If we’ve spoken on the phone, you’ve likely heard him since he’s now deaf and doesn’t know how loud he is! If you’ve met with me on Zoom, he’s surely pounced on the desk mid-call. He will often paw at me for attention, or playfully (debatable) attack my arm during meetings. We aren’t sure if we saved him or he saved us — probably a little of both. But I share his story with you so you can make sure nothing like this ever happens to your own fur babies.
Meet The Tramp
In the fall of 2010, Leann was performing in a play in The Valley. The small theater didn’t have much space, so when she was not on stage, she and the other actors would congregate on an old couch in the alley behind the theater. One rainy night, Leann and her friend Royana were approached by a soaked, emaciated, sickly looking cat they had seen a few nights in a row. They didn’t have much in the way of food, but Roy offered the little guy a Dorito, and he ate it as if his life depended on it (which it might just have).
One of the actors offered to take the cat, but had to go back to his home country to deal with Visa issues. He asked if anyone else would take him until he returned. Leann’s big heart couldn’t say no, and we corralled this frightened feline into our SUV.
We got him home, dried him off, and went to the store to get him food. He was happy to eat, but we noticed that he wasn’t able to walk in a straight line. Something was definitely wrong. We quickly took him to our local VCA Animal Hospital.
The vets were able to stabilize him with antibiotics and electrolytes but then came to us with a surprise. Charlie (since we found him in an alley behind a theater and he is black and white we thought “The Tramp” and named him Charlie Chaplin) was microchipped. Meaning, someone had him chipped with a device to identify him should he ever get lost. That meant someone cared for him and was probably looking for him! Or so we thought.
The Search is On
The VCA explained the protocol for a chipped animal. They had to try to contact the owners — first by phone, and if they couldn’t reach the owners by phone, they would need to send a letter by mail, allowing the owners two weeks to respond.
They called the owner but didn’t get a response. Next, they mailed a letter to the owner’s address. It came back undeliverable but with a forwarding address. The forwarding address was over 45 miles away from where we found him. The vet said it was looking more like an example of what he called Pet Dumping; he had seen it countless times. However, they had to follow protocol and sent a letter to the new address, allowing another two weeks for a response.
All the while, we had to leave Charlie in their facility. We visited him at least once a day, as did Royana. We will always remember the moment he first started playing with our shoelaces – he was warming up to us! Leann and I were becoming pretty attached to the little guy, and we started secretly hoping he wouldn’t be claimed. (He just joined me on my desk between me and my keyboard. I am now typing with my right elbow pointing to the sky so he can lay beside me.)
The Tramp Becomes Sir Charles
The new two-week period passed, and after an entire month in pet jail, Sir Charles was finally considered officially abandoned and we were allowed to adopt him. We were elated. Thirteen years later and he is still the feisty, finicky feline he’s always been. The vet estimates him to be about 18 years old now, but he hasn’t slowed down and still wakes me up 3+ times per night. (He’s earned the nickname Chuckzilla for that wonderfulness.)
How Pet Planning Changes Everything
The vet believed Charlie was most certainly a victim of Pet Dumping. The owner had likely passed away and the family drove 45 miles to ensure the cat couldn’t find his way home. We were horrified that this was something people did, and that there was actually a term for it.
When I meet with clients who have pets that have not considered any sort of planning for what will happen when they aren’t around, I tell them this story in the hope that they will at least make some arrangements for someone to care for and protect this vulnerable member of their family.
When it comes to planning for your pet, there are many options and one must consider not only what will happen to your pet when you pass, but also in the event you become disabled or incapacitated.
There are informal options, such as 1) speaking with your loved ones and determining who would be willing to take or adopt your pet; or 2) writing a Letter of Final Wishes to your family where you tell them all about your companion and how you hope they will care for him or her. A copy of this letter is included with your planning documents so it will be easy to find.
There are also formal methods of planning for your pet. In a comprehensive, Trust-based plan, you can include Pet Provisions that provide money from your estate to a named caretaker, or you can create a full-blown Pet Trust where you name a Trustee to manage the care of your pet with funds you set aside. And because a Pet Trust is fully enforceable by the courts, you can rest easy knowing that your pet’s well-being will always be safe.
Prevent your pet from becoming another abandonment statistic. Give us a call today or contact us through our website – together, we can make sure your pet has a happy, healthy life.
