The Law Office of Kelley J. Dwyer, PLLC

If something happened to you, who would care for your pets? 

For many of us, our pets are members of our family. It is our responsibility to ensure that they are cared for in the event of our death or disability. There are many tools that a pet owner can have in place to protect their animal companions.  The following are some examples:

Bequest in Will: You can leave any pets you own at the time of your death to a trusted friend or relative, with or without an amount of money to be used for the animal's care.

Pet Trust: You can have a trust set up inside or outside of your will that establishes an amount of money or property to be used for your pet's care.

Statutory Durable Power of Attorney: You can appoint an agent to care for your financial affairs and your pets. The agent would be able to use your personal funds to care for your pets if you are unable to do so yourself.

Documents Every Pet Owner Should Have in Place:

If a health crisis occurred and you could not speak for yourself, would anyone know that you have pets at home waiting for you? The following are helpful documents you may wish to use:

Wallet Pet Alert Card: This card can be kept in your wallet so emergency personnel will know that you have pets at home and who you have named to care for them. You can find a copy of a Wallet Pet Alert Card here.

Pet Care Document: This document can be given to your designated pet care providers so if something happens to you and your caregivers need to step in to care for your pets, they will know all of your pet's pertinent information including any medications or medical conditions, favorite toys, routines, and food. You can find a copy of a Pet Document here.