Leaving instructions for your pet’s care in your will does not protect your pet!
That is why Humane Society Naples has developed our Forever Plan for your Pet.
The Law Offices of Hoyt and Bryan have published a paper stating that “Your pet’s needs cannot wait months for your will to go through probate.” They continue,
“We love our pets. They are family members who give us unconditional love. We have a deep bond with them. Unfortunately, it’s estimated that about 500,000 pets are euthanized every year because their pet parents did not have a written plan for their care.” Here is why, they explain, “your will is not the right place to specify how to care for your pet and to leave financial resources to ensure proper care. In a will, your pet will be treated as personal property to be distributed. You cannot leave property or money to anything the law considers to be property. Your will must go through probate court and it may take more time than you think for the probate process especially if someone contests any provision of your will. This delay could leave your pet without appropriate care for months. Further, a will only takes effect when you die and does not address your pet’s care needs if you become incapacitated.”
HSN’s Forever Plan for Your Pets details 3 simple steps for planning for your pets’ future and outlines various arrangements, both informal and formal, that you can make to protect your animals’ welfare in the event of your illness or death.
The Forever Plan does not encounter the delay faced with will provisions that have to go through the probate process. It offers immediate care for your pet, lifetime basic medical care, and ongoing communication with future adopters for the rest of your pet’s life. It is particularly well suited to pet owners who may not have family or friends living nearby with whom they can make a special provision for their pet’s care. There is no required minimum future donation from your estate, although a bequest or other future gift is suggested whenever possible.
For a full copy of the Forever Plan outline as well as a Pet Profile that you can use for any arrangement you may wish to create, please click here or contact Kim Hanson, Senior Philanthropy Officer, at 239-438-4624 or kim.hanson@hsnaples.org for more information.
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Kim Hanson
Senior Philanthropy Officer
Humane Society Naples
(239) 438-4624
kim.hanson@hsnaples.org
Kim Hanson is HSN’s Senior Philanthropy Officer. With more than 40 years in the nonprofit development field, Kim posts a monthly blog on our HSN website about ways of saving the precious lives entrusted to us through a variety of charitable giving vehicles.
