Providing for pets after we are gone.

[Julie, Izzie & Max]

This may be a morbid discussion.  But my husband and I have been in the process of updating our will in the last few weeks and after I saw the discussion Jane started earlier about having a place set up for her doodles in the event she is unable to care for them.

We are trying to put our preferences in our will as to where our pets go.  Our first choice would be for our pets to go to live with our son who our pets love and would be comfortable with if something should happen to both my husband and me.  But at the present time, he lives in a very small one bedroom apartment in Chicago and would not be able to take our five pets (3dogs & 2 cats).

We are looking into a back-up plan and are considering have a trust fund set up from our estate  to provide for our pets for the remainder of their life.  Has anyone does this?  We are asking select family members who love animals and also a local no-kill shelter (we know the lady who runs it) who could place them in a home hopefully together or the cats together and the dogs together.  We are very confused in how to best provide for them if this event should occur.  We do hope to remain alive and well for the rest of their lives.

We are struggling with how to set this up.  We know that we cannot control what happens after we are gone but would like to do our best to make sure they are well cared if we are unable.

Did anyone make plans for their pets in their will? 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

All this talk is giving me heart palpitations. I don't even have a will, and I don't have money for a trust fund for my doodles. All I have is the money I've saved for my mortgage down payment, and if I kick the bucket that wouldn't be enough to cover off my debt. Maybe I need to take out life insurance for myself so that the doodles are covered. Oh gosh, and who would look after them. I have nobody in my life who could or would do it. I would turn them over the DoodleKisses/DRC to find them homes together.

 

ooohhhh, I don't wanna be a grown up. :(

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sherri, you are a baby. I'm 60. I didn't have a will or money for a trust fund when I was your age, either.

Do you honestly think any of us would let something bad happen to your babies?

Relax. The fact that you have savings alone is a very good sign.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Karen, you are a baby too : )

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Ah, F, God love you. :)

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I may be young but things can happen at any time. I have a high school friend who had a pulmonary embolism and almost died. She was brought back but is severley brain damaged and will likely be forever. She can't barely move anything but perhaps a finger and her eyes and can't communicate. She's my age. Whever I visit her in the hospital I am reminded about how fragile life is. I really should have a formal plan in place because you just never know...

[F, Calla & Luca]

You are sadly too right.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I'm right there with you Sherri! Scary stuff!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

One other thing that I think everyone should remember, since we are discussion this dreary topic anyway, is be sure that your loved ones that will be handling your estate know about DoodleKisses.  Both because obviously we would want to know if something tragic happened, as well as it would be a great resource for finding homes for the doodles if it were needed.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Great thoughts!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

While we are on this not so fun topic, I think we need to have someone notify on line friends and sites like DK that we've died. Oops I see that was already mentioned above. I am going to leave a note with my papers asking for this to happen and giving instructions.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Excellent place to put it F Staple it to the FRONT PAGE LOL!

[Julie, Izzie & Max]

Sorry to bring up such a depressing subject.  But I would have more peace of mind knowing that I had done everything I could to make sure my pets were well cared for if I could not.

There are many good points made in this discussion that I had not even thought about.  I think the most important thing is just to have a plan as to who will take care of your pets and not whether you have a will or trust fund to provide for them.  Just to know that they will be provided for in some way by someone you trust.

I have often wondered what happened to several people who were very active on DK and then suddenly they were not longer there.  I think I would be considered a lurker.  I check in on DK usually at least once a day but only respond to discussions occasionally. The responses are always so good that I don't have anything useful to add.   I would probably not be missed. But I will have to tell my husband to post to my page if something should happen just in case someone might wonder. 

Thank you for all the good advise.