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• Describe how the pet should be cared for • Name a person to go to court and enforce the terms of the trust, if necessary • State what should be done with any money left over when the animal passes
was concerned about what will happen to my beloved dog when I pass, I would ask a trusted friend to look after them.
Unfortunately, my friend is on a tight budget and isn’t sure how they will pay for food, vet bills, and occasional boarding. I would use my will to leave my dog to my friend and leave my friend some extra money for my dog’s care. This type of arrangement is legal in the sense that my dog will legally belong to my friend. However, my friend has no legal obligation to use that money on my dog. If he used the money to play the lottery, there would be no legal recourse. So, it’s always a good idea to name an alternate caretaker in case your first choice cannot do the job. Pet Trusts A stronger but more complex and expensive legal option is to make a pet trust. With this trust, you can designate money and a legal obligation to care for your pet. If the caretaker fails to follow your instructions, they can be sued.
Legacy Arrangements Unfortunately, not everybody has a person both willing and able to take care of their pets, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have options! Several organizations allow you to leave your pet to a trustworthy caretaker, such as programs with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), veterinary school programs, and private animal sanctuaries and rescue organizations. All pet owners want to be sure their furry friends are well cared for after they pass, so be sure to give careful consideration to the best ways to provide for their lifetime care.
In this document, you:
• State the pets that are covered • Name a caretaker • Leave an amount of money to be used for pet care
GUARD CAT MODE ACTIVATED
Feline Defender Prevents Robbery
We’ve heard of guard dogs, but have you ever heard of a guard cat? Well, Bandit the calico cat somehow knew exactly what to do when she spied intruders at her owner’s back door! Some may call it instinct, some may call it luck, but to Fred Everitt, she’s a hero. Everitt, a 68-year-old retired oral surgeon, was sound asleep in his Mississippi home on Sunday, July 24, when Bandit started letting out deep meows sometime between 2:30–3 a.m. Everitt assumed Bandit had seen another cat or other animal outside. Cats tend to be active at night, and Bandit is no exception. She’s been known to roam the living room and explore the kitchen cabinets while Everitt sleeps soundly. He quickly realized it was something else when she came into his room and tried to pull his comforters off and clawed at his arms. Bandit’s behavior was unusual, so Everitt knew something was wrong. “She had never done that before,” Everitt said. “I went, ‘What in the world is wrong with you?’” Bandit’s persistence eventually pulled him from bed, and after throwing his robe on, he went to investigate. When he finally got into the kitchen, he noticed two figures — one with a crowbar and one with what looked like a handgun — trying to break into his back door.
By the time Everitt returned from retrieving his own handgun, the intruders were gone. Thankfully, it didn’t turn into a confrontational situation, and Everitt gave credit to the 20-pound cat that he adopted from a humane society. If it hadn’t been for Bandit’s alertness, it could’ve been a completely different story. “I want to let people know that you save a life when you adopt from a pet shelter or rescue one,” Everitt said, “but the tides could be turned. You never know when you save an animal if they’re going to save you.”
Social Security Disability • Workers’ Compensation • Employment Rights
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