Pet Trust Lawyer & Attorney : Dan Meek Law Firm : Estate Planning, Pet Guardians, Will Provisions

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Time for a little getaway… a long weekend …or an extended stay overseas.

At one time or another, all pet owners are faced with a similar dilemma.

What to do with your pet while you are away. While many pet owners regularly travel with their pets, many times this is simply not possible.

Perhaps work is an interference, or there is no adequate pet friendly housing available or long plane flights are either too expensive or simply not a viable option.

When your pet is another member of the family, you need to take the time and effort to know who is responsible for your pet while you are away.

Many pet owners choose the institutional kennel or the pet hospital or facility of their vet. There is a certain amount of trust and comfort in the knowledge that a licensed professional will be available on site or close by in the case of an emergency or illness while you are away from your pet.

However, many individuals turn to a friend or a professional pet sitting service to attend to the needs of their pets in these circumstances.

Unless you know the individual responsible for the care of your pet, you need to some due diligence, before your turn over your loved one to a total stranger that may or may not have any training in the feeding and care of a strange animal.

A professional sitting service should provide you with a complete service agreement that outlines their responsibilities and your expectations, including full emergency contact information, feeding, and exercise and grooming schedules.

PetsitUSA.com provides a beginning list for you to review for your pet sitter. They suggest that you observe your pets’ reactions to the pet sitter as you need to be comfortable with whoever comes into your home to care for them. You can see the full list of suggestions here.

The person that you hire, whether an individual or a member of a professional staff, will be working in your home and taking car of your pet while you are not there.

Few decisions that you make will be more personal or important to you.

Choose carefully.