Not something we want to think about but to be a responsible guardian we must.
Make a plan for your pet if something happens to you, regardless of your age.
Too many pets end up in shelters, and worse yet KILL shelters because family members do not take the pets.
This can be short term or long term.
What happens if you are hospitalized for a long time? Who will take care of your animals?
What if something tragic happens to you and you die unexpectedly? Don’t just assume someone will take on your pets.
Do you know someone who is elderly? Talk to them about this. They don’t often think of this. They just assume family will take their pets in.
We all know how much pets mean to their guardian. Imagine the heartbreak knowing your pet is going to a shelter after being in a loving home. Their whole world about to fall apart.
It is hard enough for a pet to lose a guardian. But to have their whole world go from love in a home to a shelter or worse yet a KILL shelter. It’s intolerable for them. It is scary. They can not cope with this because they don’t have a human with them to help them. And it happens TOO OFTEN. Especially for old ones. They provide companionship and love, they do not deserve to get dumped when their guardian dies.
Pets are FAMILY. Have a conversation. Get a commitment. Make a plan. Don’t just assume. Assuming will leave your pet in limbo and that is unfair and very scary and dangerous for them. Find a way to keep them with someone they KNOW. Even just a little. A home. Not a cold, loud, shelter.
I just took on my dad’s dog in April. It was not easy to acclimate him into my pack but any other solution wasn’t even an option. For the rest of Bucks life or my dog, Titan’s life, those two will never be able to be left alone without supervision. Not ideal. But we make it work.
I am 45 years old. I had a conversation with my dad. He was going to take my dogs if something tragic happened to me. Now he’s gone. So I needed to make a new plan for my animals (dogs, horses and even the barn cats). And I did. I’m only 45 but I won’t take a chance. I love them too much and I don’t want any of them to end up in a shelter even though I live in a no kill state. They need to stay with family. It is too traumatic for them otherwise.
So please, don’t delay. Have a solid plan. Have a conversation. Get a commitment. Put them in your will. They are completely dependent on you. And if someone you know dies, consider giving their pet a forever home. I can promise you that your loved one will be so grateful and so will the pet.
