Every pet owner, young or old, needs to think about what would happen to their animal if they could no longer care for it. Whether you have cats, dogs, other domestic house pets, or farm animals at your home, you are responsible for protecting the quality of life of your animal companions. Making plans to provide for them in case of your incapacity or death is a responsible and caring choice.
Randy Holmgren can help. Our Salt Lake City pet planning lawyers have assisted many clients to make provisions for the care of their animals, even if their own future is an uncertain one.
Give us a call today at (801) 981-4437 so we can discuss your goals for your pet planning with you and provide information on the personalized services that we can offer you. We can also answer any questions which you may have about the pet planning process including:
- What is involved in pet planning?
- Why is pet planning so important for pet owners?
- How can a Salt Lake City pet planning lawyer help you?
What is Involved in Pet Planning?
The pet planning process is going to depend upon what type of pets you have, and what your goals are for them. One thing that every pet owner must contend with, however, is making certain that there is a home for pets to live in if something happens to the current owner.
As soon as you bring a pet into your life, you become responsible for that pet’s life. Your animal is depending upon you for everything and you need to make sure that your animal companion will be cared for by someone trustworthy if you become incapacitated or pass away. In order to fulfill this responsibility, you should name a guardian for your pet and talk to that person in advance about whether they can take your animal if something happens to you. You may also wish to name a backup guardian because circumstances can change.
Naming a guardian is the first step, but is often not the only step in the pet planning process. As a pet owner, you realize that caring for an animal can be expensive. You don’t want your animal’s needs to go unmet because the caregiver cannot spend the money to pay for doggie day care, vet bills, or high quality food. To make certain your animal has the quality of life you wish to provide, setting aside money to care for your animal is a good idea.
You can do this in your will, but there is no guarantee that the money will necessarily be used for its intended purposes once the cash is transferred. You can also use more advanced estate planning tools, like creating a trust. By making a trust, you can dictate exactly what the money you have set aside is to be used for. The trustee must abide by your instructions in the trust document, so you can ensure that the cash is kept aside for the pet’s vet bills or other stated expenses.
Why is Pet Planning Essential For Pet Owners?
It is up to you as a pet owner whether you want to simply ensure your animal has a guardian or whether you want to go further and provide financially for your animal. Every pet owner, however, should at least take the step of making sure their animal will always have a home.
There are millions of pets across the country and across the state of Utah who are living in shelters without the knowledge of a loving home. Older pets in these settings can be hard to get adopted, and some animals become depressed or aggressive. Your animal could be left to this fate, or even left homeless or euthanized if you do not take steps to ensure a safe home is provided. Your animal adds joy to your life, and you should not put your pet at risk. Make a plan, because you know your pet would do it for you if they could.
How can a Salt Lake City Pet Planning Lawyer Help?
Randy Holmgren has helped the owners of all different types of animals throughout Salt Lake City, Provo, Orem, Ogden, Park City, Cedar City, St. George, and surrounding areas throughout Utah. Whether you have a canine companion or feline companion that you love or an entire farm full of animals, we can assist you in making the right plans to ensure a secure future for the animals in your life. Give us a call today at (801) 981-4437 or contact us to learn more.
