Most people with pets rarely make formal legal arrangements for who will be responsible for the care of their pets if they become disabled or when they die. Unfortunately a failure to plan could result in the pet going to someone that you did not have in mind, or worst case scenario to someone who decides to have your pet euthanized because no one has stepped forward to care for your pet.

It is important to consider who would take care of your pet in the event you became disabled, and in this situation a Will would not be of much help.

However, a properly drawn Trust or Durable Power of Attorney could provide you with some assurance that your pet would be properly taken care of in the event you become disabled or die. These legal documents are commonly called “Pet Trusts” and are used to protect your animals and to ensure that they receive the proper and loving care that you would wish for.

With a Pet Trust, you can make sure that your animal receives the quality of care that you have expressed in your legal document. Typically the Trustee would be responsible for supervising the pet caregiver and paying for fees and costs associated with food, medical care, the animal’s housing, etc.

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