Don't Horse Around With Estate Planning
While we usually focus our thoughts on dogs, cats and other smaller pets, there is really no limit on the love of animls by their owners.
The Del Camino Equestrian Academy of Scottsdale Arizona, offers the following insights into estate planning for your pets.
Most people have some life insurance and a retirement plan.
They have named beneficiaries who are family members, of course.
Most responsible people with minor children at home have made arrangements in their will or trust for those children, including naming a guardian.
Do we assume that the beneficiaries of these instruments that wisely fulfill our duties to people, will share with our pets as we would wish?
You might reasonably predict that the family dog would stay in the family. But if you are single with pets, are you certain that relatives in Nebraska will fly Fluffy out from Phoenix to join them for the rest of Fluffy’s life? If Fluffy is a St. Bernard, maybe not.
How will they know which pet adoption agency to use to find him a new home?
What if that no-kill adoption center wants a support fee until he is adopted, which would be fair?
Are they going to be willing to spend $100 per month for however many months it takes to find him a home?
Who pays for those vaccinations and groomings that might come due in the interim? Oh, ALL of my relatives would take care of Fluffy. They love Fluffy as much as their own pets. Good.
Now let’s move on to your two performance horses that are boarded at a nice training facility, or your three backyard horses that you spend 3 hours per day maintaining if not riding.
One of those, by the way, is Sweet Ole Paint, a 24 year old with Cushings who won you the State Championship 15 years ago, and is enjoying a quiet retirement just keeping the younger horses company.
What is going to happen to them, if something happens to you?
They provide some probing questions and thoughts for you to consider with your planning.
You can gain further information on these plans here.
No Pet Trusts in Connecticut
I live in Barkhamsted, Connecticut and have a two year old Otterhound named Oscar. Can you tell me if my state recognizes pet trusts?
Kacey
Kacey, we went straight to the source on this one.
According to Sandra Norman-Eady, Chief Attorney, during the 2005 regular session of the Connecticut General Assembly, an Act Concerning the Creation of Trusts for the Care of Domestic Animals, was introduced to the legislature.
“The bill authorized trusts for the care of domestic animals that are alive when the person who created the trust dies. It allowed a natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, partnership, incorporated or unincorporated association, or any other legal entity to be selected as trustee.
Under the bill, the trust would have terminated on the earlier of the following occurrences: (1) when the animal died, or if the trust was created to provide for the care of more than one animal, when the last surviving animal died; or (2) 90 years after its creation.
A person appointed in the trust could enforce it. If no one was named, the bill allowed a court to appoint someone to enforce it. It allowed a person having an interest in the animal's welfare to ask the court to appoint a person to enforce the trust or to remove a person appointed.
The bill specified that trust property authorized to care for an animal could be applied only for its intended use, except to the extent the court determined that the trust's value exceeded the amount required for the intended use. Except as otherwise provided in the trust, property not required for the intended use had to be distributed to the settlor, if living. (A settlor is the person who creates a trust and transfers property to it. ) Otherwise, it had to be distributed to the settlor's successors in interest. The bill permitted a trustee to be designated as the person who received the trust assets when the animal the trust benefits died.
The bill was referred to and voted out of the Judiciary Committee. However, it ultimately died in the Judiciary Committee upon recommitment by the Senate.”
No additional legislation has been passed in this area.
Therefore, Connecticut remains in the minority as one of only eleven states that does not recognize a statutory pet trust.
We have written before however, here , that you can still provide for your pet's future with an inter vivos trust or with a will provision in your current estate plan.
Contact your legislators if your want Connecticut to join the main stream of thought in this area.
With or without a statutory pet trust, you can do estate planning for your pets.
It is the responsible thing to do.
Fleas Are No Small Problem
We were on the BART train, underground in a tunnel, in San Francisco, when the dreaded “call missed” message appeared on the cell phone.
It was dreaded because the number indicated that the call was from our friends down the block at home, who were taking care of our dog, Anna, while we were away for a long weekend wedding.
As it turned out, the host dog had just been diagnosed and treated for fleas and the Vet had suggested that we needed to treat Anna as well.
All in all, a bad call, but not life threatening.
Or was it?
While not all areas of the country are faced with this tiny problem, we soon found that fleas feed on animal blood, more frequently in cats and dogs and can trigger problems including skin irritation, tapeworm, allergic reactions, anemia, the plague, typhus and in rare cases, death.
Jean Sanders of whowhatwherewhenwhy.com explains the basic problem with fleas and the inability to stop them…
"Fleas are probably the most successful creatures on the planet in terms of reproduction. There are over 2,400 species and they are difficult to control for a variety of reasons: One female flea will produce 25,000 offspring in one month. An unfed adult can live for several months. The chemicals used to eradicate adult dog fleas have no effect on the eggs. Fleas are very good at mutating to resist new pesticides.
Fleas are a menace to dogs! They cause allergic dermatitis, tapeworms, and anemia. Most of the eggs are not laid on the dog but in the dog's bedding, in the rug, and on the furniture. It is extremely difficult to eradicate fleas completely. The most you can hope for is to control them and to keep your dog reasonably comfortable during the warm, moist flea season."
There are numerous commercial products sold to pet owners to control fleas.
Generally speaking, these products may or may not be effective to control these insects.
Many pet owners use garlic or brewers yeast to attempt a more natural approach to the problem of infestation. Although again, their success rate is merely antidotal.
More frequent doggie baths are also recommended.
In any case, a seemingly mild case of irritation can eventually turn deadly if not properly and quickly treated.
In this case, estate planning for your pets includes seeking the necessary medical treatment plan from your Vet at the first sign of any flea problem.
Do not assume that the issue will simply resolve itself.
Remember, you are responsible for your pet.
Plan accordingly…
