What is Pet Planning?
By Laura J. Martin, Esq.
Pet Planning is estate planning for animals and the people who love them. Have you thought about what will happen to your pet if you are hospitalized or enter a nursing home or rehab facility? What if you become ill or forgetful and can’t care for your pet? What will happen to your pet if you die? What if you need help to continue living with your pet as long as possible? Sometimes, family or friends will volunteer. Unfortunately, many pets aren’t this lucky and may go days or longer without food, water, exercise, and necessary medications. Countless pets are abandoned, euthanized, or worse when their person gets sick or dies. Many older people who could benefit from animal companionship are reluctant to get a pet because the future is uncertain.
Pet Planning can help you solve all of these possible future problems. Pet Planning involves planning and preparing in advance to meet the needs of both pets and their people. Ideally, your Pet Plan should cover four possible future life circumstances. Pet Planning can be used to:
Maintain and protect your relationship with your pets and animals if you lose the mental capacity to make your own decisions due to dementia, stroke or other brain injury, illness, medication side effects, or cognitive decline;
Provide for and protect your pets and animals if you are temporarily unable to care for them due to travel, illness, hospitalization, rehabilitation, or similar cause;
Provide for any assistance you may need to continue living with or caring for a pet or animal due to illness, advanced age, physical disability, dementia, etc.; and
Provide for and protect your pets and animals if you are permanently unable to care for them due to death, long-term illness or disability, nursing home or other long-term care facility admission, or any other reason.
Pet Planning usually involves adding pet-specific terms to routine estate planning documents like wills, powers of attorney, and family trusts. It sometimes includes more specialized documents, such as a Pet Power of Attorney or a Pet Trust. Pet Plans can range from very simple to extremely complex. Pet Planning options are available to fit every family, pet, and budget.
In Ohio, there are no limitations on the type or species of animals that may be planned and provided for. Pet Planning can be used to provide for and protect dogs, cats, horses, birds, other household pets, exotic and non-traditional pets, service animals, commercially valuable animals, farm-type animals, and others. If you are responsible for the well-being of any animal. Pet Planning can help ensure their future care and your peace of mind.
This is the first article in a continuing series about Pet Planning. Additional information about Pet Planning and the options available to you is included in the Introduction to Pet Planning for Animal Owners guide.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. For Pet Planning assistance, please consult with an experienced estate planning attorney.
