Planning For the Future

Years ago, I did extended dog care for an elderly client with a young Yorkie.  My client was in and out of the hospital, and I always cared for her little dog in her absence.  At one point, my client asked if I would take care of her dog in the event that she passed away.  She felt that her family wouldn't care for the dog the way that I did and this was really weighing on her mind.  At the time, I had just one dog and one cat, and I lived alone.  I told her I would be honored to care for her dog should something happen to her. This gave her such peace of mind and was so simple for me to do. Her little dog lived with us for weeks at a time as it was!  The best part of this story? She ended up outliving her little dog by almost five years!

From the moment I agreed to care for that little Yorkie, I got to thinking about who would care for my animals should something happen to me. My mom wasn't really an "animal person," but when I asked her, she said she would take my dog in a heart beat because she was so fond of her and she was well behaved. Whew.  My cousin said she would take my cat, so I was all set. I, too, felt an overwhelming relief that my pets would be cared for if something happened to me.  Each time I have added a new dog to my home, I think about what would be best for them if something happened to me.  Now I am blessed with kids and a spouse who love my animals as much as I do, so there is little worry that my pets would have any lapse in their care.  For many of my clients, however, that isn't always the case. 

If you have pets, it is important to plan for their future without you, should something happen.  Confirm that family or friends will take care of your animals and let them know how you want your animals cared for in your absence.  More than once, I have seen a pet end up at the shelter or passed around because a well-meaning friend or family member indicated that they would care for an animal, but when the time came, they just couldn't do it.  Encourage your family and friends to be honest with you. If they can't step into that role of caretaker for your pets, better to know now so that you can make other arrangements.  Make sure your decisions are in writing and kept up to date if you add new animals to your home, or as your animals pass away. 

I realize this isn't an easy topic or one anybody really wants to think about. However, if you get this all settled in advance, you will have less to worry about as time marches on...as it always does.

Shadow, a sweet Border Collie mix, would have lived with

 my mom had something happened to me