If you are the owner of a companion animal, you know the unconditional love and abject joy that animals can bring to people’s lives. Animals have absolute trust in their owners, and they enrich the lives of their owners in so many ways. Elderly people with animals can overcome loneliness by caring for another living creature, while people of all ages can benefit from having an animal in their home. People even live longer when they have dogs in the home, and animals have been scientifically proved to reduce stress.
Your animals do so much for you, and trust and love you so completely, that you owe it to your pets to make sure they are cared for always. Unfortunately, if something happens to you, your pet may be nothing more than an afterthought as your family copes with your death or with a medical emergency you are facing.
Sinclair Prosser Gasior can help you to make certain your animal is cared for in this undesirable situation. Give us a call at 410-573-4818 or 301-970-8080 for personalized advice on pet planning if you live in Annapolis, Bowie, Millersville, Waldorf and surrounding areas in Maryland. We can also provide answers to questions about pet planning including:
- Who should create a plan for their pet?
- What should you include in your pet planning process?
- How can an Maryland pet planning lawyer help?
Who Should Create A Plan for Their Pet?
Creating a plan for your pet is very important to ensure that your animal is cared for. Many older people with pets are more aware of the potential that their pet could outlive them or that they may need to go into a nursing home and leave their pet behind. As a result, many seniors make provisions for their animals.
Younger pet owners, however, also need to be aware that they could end up facing a situation where they become sick or injured and their pet is not provided for. The needs of pets can be overlooked when a medical emergency or untimely death occurs, and an animal can be left in a dire situation.
For pet owners of any age, a failure to create a plan could result in a beloved pet ending up in a shelter, in an unsafe home, or without the medical care the pet needs to stay healthy. With a little advanced planning, you can spare your pet this fate. It is part of being a responsible pet owner, and it is something that every owner of a companion animal should be sure to do.
What Should You Include in your Pet Planning Process?
The pet planning process should include making sure that you have named a person who will be responsible for providing physical day-to-day care for your animal if you have to go into a hospital, hospice, or a nursing home. You should also make provisions to have someone assume guardianship of your pets if you pass away.
Be sure to speak with your chosen caregiver before you make an official clause in your will naming him or her the guardian of your animals. You may also wish to name a backup person, in case something were to happen which prevents the first choice caregiver from taking responsibility for the pets.
Your pet planning process can also include making sure your pet is provided for financially, and is provided with the experiences and treats you would have offered if you had been alive. You can create a trust for your pet, name a trustee, and provide detailed instructions in the trust document.
With the creation of a trust, you may ensure that there is money available to provide for your animal’s needs, that the money is used for its intended purpose, and that your animal never suffers because of a lack of financial ability to provide for the pet.
How Can a Maryland Pet Planning Lawyer Help?
Sinclair Prosser Gasior has extensive experience providing assistance to pet owners in Annapolis, Bowie, Millersville, Waldorf and surrounding areas in Maryland. We understand and respect the bond that people have with their pets and we work hard to make sure you have the plan you need to provide care for your animal, even if you cannot be there to provide that care on your own. Give us a call at 410-573-4818, 301-970-8080 or contact us online to learn more about pet planning and to get assistance with the process of creating a plan to give your companion animals the security they deserve.
