Providing for Your Pet in Your Estate Planning
While I will confess to being a dog lover (and proud owner of an 11 year old Basset Hound, pictured here), I have never quite understood the notion of providing for a pet in a will or establishing a trust for that purpose. Many think that folks who do these things are, well, perhaps a little dotty (not that I share that view). It is a fact, however, that on an annual basis Americans spend more money on their pets than they do on their children. An increasing number of states, furthermore, have enacted legislation recognizing the validity of "pet trusts." If you are concerned that your dog, cat, chinchilla or other pet is cared for according to your wishes after your death, you will find the following post from the Adopt a Dallas Pet - Online PetWork blog of interest:
At last estimate, half a million pets are put to death every year because their owners have passed on or are no longer able to care for them. People are beginning to look for ways to ensure their pets are safe no matter what. Some of these key areas are: pet trusts, pets in wills, long term pet care, estate planning for pets and disaster preparedness for pets. My Peticulars is here to help you make sure your best friends are safe and happy today, tomorrow and in the future.My Peticulars offers a complete portfolio that encompasses many aspects of family planning for pets. Our customized portfolio details everything about your pets from their health, to their daily routines, to your plans for them in the event that you are unable to care for them - and just about everything in between!Pet Trusts? Pets in Wills? Estate Planning for Pets? Which is Right for Me?For most of us, our pets are full fledged members of the family. There is nothing we won’t do to keep them safe or make their lives better. Companies that provide pet related products and services are among the fastest growing in business today. Things we would have thought frivolous or absurd ten years ago are a mundane part of daily life now. We think we have all of our bases covered. We see the veterinarian regularly, we buy the right foods, and we carefully screen the groomers and sitters who care for our “kids”. All of these things we do gladly because we love them. Most of these things are fun and rather pleasant. Unfortunately, we have other responsibilities in protecting the pets we love. We don’t want to consider the more negative aspects of life. Sometimes it’s not even that we consciously choose not to deal with them, it’s that life gets in the way. We can take care of these things tomorrow. But, if tomorrow doesn’t come for you, what happens to them?The portfolios created by My Peticulars are one of a kind, fully customized details of your pet. From day to day mundane schedules to information required by attorneys and estate planning professionals for creating a legally enforceable trust or will. In addition, our packages include all of the signs and alert cards that national animal organizations urge every pet owner to prepare. We offer free mailing service and free lifetime updates. The packages can be taken to your attorney and/or accountant to be included with your estate documents. This will save in professional fees since it will reduce the amount of hours spent in information gathering and document preparation. The documents we provide are not only practical in the event of an emergency but also come in handy for pet sitters, groomers and anyone else who spends time with your furry friends. We include many reference documents that pet owners should have at their fingertips just in case of emergency.It doesn’t matter how many pets you have, their species, if they are purebred, “Heinz 57” or anything else. What does matter is that they are part of your family - a part of your family that has no say in their own welfare. You owe it to them to be prepared for whatever the future might hold. Whether you’re in the market for pet trusts, wills that include pets, long term pet care, estate planning for pets, disaster preparedness for pets or something else, My Peticulars is here to assist you.Visit http://www.mypeticulars.com/ for more information.
Your estate planning attorney can advise you as to whether pet trusts are valid in your state and, if not, what other arrangements you might be able to make. In either event, the My Peticulars portfolio is an excellent idea for any pet owner.
Source for post: Adopt a Dallas Pet blog.
