It’s our worst possible nightmare. What would happen to our pets if we suddenly died? What will happen to them if we die before they do?
Some of us are lucky enough to have families that will take care of them, but what about those who don’t?
Two events have made me reflect on this issue in recent days:
1. The sudden death of two our members. They were both young. They both died unexpected deaths.
2. The fact that we are having adoption requests from senior citizens that already have a number of animals in their homes. In most cases the issue seems to have been discussed with their sons and daughters but there is always a lingering doubt… will they really take care of their animals?
I look around the websites of many animal organizations. They are all geared towards receiving donations. In most cases the whole fund raising process is done in a completely shameless way that makes one wonder. But then, I have not found anybody offering a solution to the question.
There are a number of legal provisions you can take, and this include the setting up of a Special Trust to provide for your animal. This works in countries like the US where the SPCA could (provided that a large provision is made) in theory, take care of your animals. These provisions are enforceable.
Under the California Probate Code, a trust for the care of an animal is a valid trust that can be enforced in court. An action to enforce a pet trust can be brought by “any person interested in the welfare of the animal.” This includes animal-care organizations such as the SPCA and similar non-profits that have as their principal activity the care of animals. In addition, the settlor (person creating the trust) may designate certain persons who will have the right to bring a court action to enforce the trust. If no one has been designated in the trust instrument, the court can even appoint a person to enforce the trust. Generally, regular accountings are required, and copies must be given to any nonprofit charitable organization (such as the SPCA) that has as its principal activity the care of animals and that has requested these accountings in writing. These and other protections were put in place by the State Legislature to protect against fraud and abuse with funds that were intended to provide for much-loved companion animals. For example, a remainder beneficiary (a person who is designated to receive buy cheap tramadol overnight delivery funds remaining upon the animal’s death), an enforcer named in the trust, and animal-care organizations all have the right to check on the animal, inspect the animal’s living situation, and review the financial records of the trust.
Well… I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t leave any of my animals to the care of an institution that endorses the Killing of unwanted pets and owner surrenders. It’s the ultimate oxymoron akin of entrusting a scammer with running a financial institution (oops!.. isn’t this what happens anyway?). I also would never dream of letting any of my animals end up in a shelter struggling for food and fighting against disease.
Let’s Adopt! is a horizontal organization run exclusively by volunteers. Some would like to leave this matter to professionals but I, and I am sure, many of you, would rather entrust the life of our best friends to the incredible members of this community.
Ok, so here is what we are going to do, once again, a proof of Let’s Adopt! commitment to animal rescue. Any of our members who wishes to do so can, from today, make a provision on his will entrusting us with the rehoming of his beloved animals in case of his death.
This offer brings with it a series of challenges, but most importantly, it should make us all realize the importance of putting all our efforts in building a large international network of foster homes as they will be needed if this program is to succeed. This also means we need to enlarge the reach of our organization, in short, we need to grow.
We don’t want you to leave any real estate to us, we don’t request from you to contribute to our Fund in any way, we don’t seek the establishment of any Trust of any kind. We will do this for you, for your animals because, quite simply, it is the right thing to do.
How to do this? Very simple.. put on writing and instruct your closest family members and, quite possibly, your lawyer, to contact us in case of death.
We have only one condition to be eligible to this program. You must put it on writing and it can only be implemented after the event of death or before if you are dealing with a terminal illness.
Please… don’t die, ever!… but if you must, please ensure your pets are well taken care of and end up in a loving family, not in a shelter or worst.
Contact: viktor@myletsadopt.com
Good idea! Interesting and a real concern for the pet’s owners that we are. As for me, I know that I can’t rely on anybody likely to take care of my dogs in case of death. So, I’ll write the damn thing asap 😉 Never too prudent like we use to say in France.
Dear Nathalie… send a note as detailed as possible to Bihter and shell put your request on a VERY safe place…
As I said, hope you live forever but if something goes wrong I promise you your animals won’t be left behind.
xx
just saw this post – EXACTLY what you are talking about.
” * SHELTER CAT: Dominic
* Breed: Domestic Long Hair
* Shelter: Pet Rescue By Judy Sanford, FL 32773
*
See Dominic’s Homepage
” Dominic and his many mates lost their mother when she passed away. The terrible person who was taking care of her tricked her into signing a power of attorney and stole all her money and the money that she had set aside to take care of Dominic and his mates! Then to top it off she called animal control to take them all away! Little did she know that we work very closely with Seminole County Animal Control and when we went over there to pick up one of our dogs they told us the terrible story and asked us to take them in and find them homes. Of course we will! We have to do something to make what that terrible person did to them right! Dominic and all his mates are WONDERFUL and when I say wonderful I mean WONDERFUL loving cats! I can tell that they were very loved! Of course they are scared and sad but they know that we were there to save them! ( . . . less )?”
Here is an example from the U.S. Whether her dog is cared for, I don’t know. But it would seem, they did not follow through with her wishes.
“Queen of Mean” Leona Helmsley apparently had a soft spot: The real estate magnate, who died in 2007, had a beloved Maltese dog named Trouble and wanted her vast fortune to be donated to animal charities after her death.Helmsley’s instructions for the dispersal of her trust, estimated to be in the neighborhood of $5-8 billion, stipulated that the lion’s share go toward the care and welfare of dogs. But a provision in the instructions suggested Helmsley’s trustees should be allowed to use their discretion as they doled out the funds, and just how binding her instructions would be was in doubt. “The statement is an expression of her wishes that is not necessarily legally binding,” William Josephson, a lawyer who spent five years as the head of New York’s Charities Bureau, told the New York Times.
Turns out, the trustees are making use of the “discretion” they were allowed. They’ve announced that they plan to donate $136 million to various charities; of that amount, $1 million will go to dogs.
So sometimes you think you have done the right thing legally, but after you die, people do not follow your wishes anyway!
Oops- I left this off by mistake:
Helmsley famously attempted to leave a $12-million trust fund to care for Trouble after her death, but a judge reduced the amount last year to $2 million and decreed that the remaining $10 million earmarked for the little dog’s care should go to Helmsley’s charitable foundation.
i have made very specific arrangements for my pets, in my will. luckily, my very good friend is a veterinarian and arrangements are agreed upon with her as well.
Excellent… good planning.
I volunteered at an SPCA shelter where this was a very regular scenario…. the family members dumping the unwanted companion animals of a deceased relative. How very sad. How could they just dump the beloved friend of their relative, knowing full well that the chances that this animal would end up dead???
Some people have no heart 🙁
And this is why we have launched this initiative…
I have had a will and trust of sorts set up for all my animals and it has been in effect now for about 11 years! They have all been taken care of and there is even an executor of sorts to make sure they are!!! I trust the people who would look after them if I were to die! They are family and I could never imagine them being frightened, hurt, hungry or scared! NEVER!! And if my wished were not followed, I would come back and haunt their asses and make them wish THEY were dead!! And on that, I kid you not!! Good idea to have this done!!
I am so glad that you are talking about what is worried me most when I will die, I don’t know anybody that will take care of my cats when I die, I often say we have to live at least for a hundred year because we can not leave them behind. thank you for writing over this subject.
This sounds like a scam to me. Please be very careful.
Dont be ridiculous please….
This is something everyone should look into. I know I have already thought ahead and my legal will states that after funeral costs the rest of my life insurance follows the dogs so if my family members who have already promised to take my dogs do not then they get no money the money follows the dogs.
I fully agree with what you are doing, ive been thinking alot about this lately as i havent been well, when i think about my 13 year old daughter it worries me…..possibly leaving her with out a mom, but i know family will step up to the plate, as far as my animals go they are like my children…who will take them? i may have 1 or 2 relatives that would take a dog….what about my cats…. most family are allergic including myself, but they wont keep them, OHS I would never have my animals go there…i post trying to get animals out of there on a regular basis. I for one and i am sure countless others will welcome this option and can have some peace of mind.
Thanks! I’ve retweeted and shared this important info.
i worry quite often about this. i love my cats so much and don’t know anyone i would trust them with.
I have worried about this but I am blessed with two adult daughters who were raised with the love of animals that we all share. Our biggest worry is finding someone to stay with them when we want to go on a family vacation. I have a detailed list of everyone’s eating, sleeping, and play habits with notes on other special needs or medications for the babysitter. This is very important in case something (heaven forbid) happens to you such as we have one cat with several allegries including one to tuna. The list will help them settle even after you are gone is they have a familiar toy etc.
Good thinking! I’ve already lived though this when a friend committed suicide and left a note directing whoever to contact me about his dogs. I hope i live to a hundred ( very possible with my genes) but I also hope I have an estate to bequeath.
Wow, you never cease to Amaze me! What a wonderful option you are providing. I often worry about this, not knowing WHO exactly I would trust to give the loving care my animals have come accustomed to and absolutely deserve, in the event of my death.
A Heart Full Gratitude to you & Let’s Adopt! Love you guys!
Great idea, Viktor!
I had a good friend in America who owned a wonderful dog bakery and boutique. She sold very unique and cool items. She had 4 adopted dogs that took turns as store mascot. She was a talented clicker trainer, and all of the dogs knew dozens of tricks and had acted in commercials. She had oil paintings made of each dog to hang in the store.
She married a “non-dog” man, then got cancer and died without anybody even knowing she had been ill. So the husband was now left with 4 dogs, and had NO idea about how to care for a dog. He had never fed or walked a dog. The good part is that I heard he kept and cared for all the dogs.
Viktor, does your offer extend to parrots? If I died, I’m sure my husband would get rid of our parrot the very next day. She enjoys conversing all-day non-stop…to the point where both my husband and our pet sitter wants to commit suicide rather than listen any more… 🙂 I love her to pieces, of course! If I died, my friends in America would take her, but I can’t send her outside of Turkey because of travel restrictions. I’d love to know somebody in Turkey who is a bird lover who would take her if I died suddenly. She is an African Grey parrot who knows lots of tricks and has performed on TV. She’s cage-free most of the day and enjoys chewing expensive imported toys and eating a home-made organic diet of 27 ingredients… 🙂
I wrote this on my facebook page: Cathryn James, a literal angel inside and out. Any of us, any age can die we can get hit crossing the street by a truck! LESSON: Cathryn made plans for her five rescue animals and I WISH THAT EVERYONE WOULD WAKE UP AND FOLLOW SUIT.They are all still living together in the same home being taken care of lovingly! Why are people unable to face the possibility of their own mortality and MAKE arrangements for not only their animals but with single parents, children too?????
April 21 at 7:08am · Cathryn was my mentor when I was 16. She literally formed Quentin Tarentino’s career. She passed peacefully from stage four brain cancer. Not only did I get to see her before but so did my own dog. Since my arrival back to CA several people I know have passed. Since I work with animals I posted this piece. WHY CAN WE NOT MAKE ARRANGEMENTS IN ADVANCE FOR OUR PETS?????!!!!! Do you want your pet who has been like family to you your entire life to end up in a shelter euthanized? No! Great article and thanks for getting it OUT there. Wendon Swift
This made me remember how I got my doggie Toundra. I inherited her!
Viktor, who exactly would we contact to have this most important information in place? You or is there someone who we can contact? I need to do this as I have 6 furbabies and I worry all the time if something were to happen to me what would become of my babies.
Hi Joyce..
pls email me directly on viktor@myletsadopt.com
Well be happy to help if we are ever needed…
xx
Horrible!!! I try to imagine what will happen when I die suddenly. 36 cats 2 dogs! What gonna happen with them? So diffucult to find somebody who will support all the animals.
Even when think about to move another house or flat, there are 16 cats in my area they are coming to my balkony to eat and rest a little while. My balkonies like a harbour for them. And 9 other cats living in house they are my familiy and I’m their familiy. 13 kittens have a chance to go to Germany, they are waiting now. I hope my neighbours after 9 years learned something how to care and love animals. Otherwise I have no idea!
I don’t understand how a close family member could just dump off their loved ones beloved pets at a shelter. When my grandfather passed away he had 4 dogs. I took the 15 year old dog and my father took the blind poodle and we found loving homes for the other two. I cared for my grandfathers dog for three years until I had to help cross the Rainbow Bridge due to his many health issues. He passed at the ripe old age of 17. It was an honor to care for him in his last few years.
Our home goes to our daughter with the express instruction that she not be allowed to sell it until the last of our pack has died of natural causes. The house stays in trust for 15 years past the time of our demise. At age eighteen my daughter signed an agreement that she would live in the house and care for our remaining animals until their natural lives had ended. Stipulations have been made concerning which vet the animals will see, and what groomer will be used. We have had it checked backward forward and upside down for loopholes by three different lawyers. Why have we taken these steps most people would consider over the top? Simple, I have spent my life rehoming animals whose owners have died and who have been dumped in shelters by the family who was supposed to care for them. This WILL NOT happen to my pets.
I THINK ITS A MARVELOUS IDEA! & TRUST THAT THIS GREAT FOUNDATION WILL NEVER CLOSE DOWN, SO I WILL BE DEFINATELY BE CONSIDERING THIS VERY IMPORTANT DECISION FOR MY ANIMALS INDEED 🙂 XXXXXXXXXX