It is important to make plans for what will happen to your pets after you pass away.
For many Americans pets are an essential and important part of their lives and families. Some pets today are treated as well as if not better than the humans in the family.
People will go to great lengths to make sure their pets have the best food and health care. There are even day spas for pets in many places.
However, as much as people care for their pets during their lives, most fail to think about and plan for what will happen to those very same pets after the owners pass away.
That lack of planning may mean that the pets are taken to a shelter after their owners' deaths.
This is the subject of the Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog titled "Message from Pasadena Humane Society: Don't Omit Pet from Estate Planning."{: target="_blank"}
Planning for what will happen to your pet does not have to be difficult.
You can get started by thinking about the person you would like to take care of the pet and asking that person whether they are willing to do so.
You should decide whether the person caring for your pet will need money to care for your pet in the same way that you would do so.
You can also hire an estate planning attorney to help you create the proper legal documentation to make sure that your wishes will be carried out.
Your pet does not have to end up in a shelter after you pass away. You just need to do a few simple things to make sure it does not happen.
Reference: Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog (Jan. 3, 2018) "Message from Pasadena Humane Society: Don't Omit Pet from Estate Planning."{: target="_blank"}