Use Door Signs for Emergency Pet Information
We try to discuss and address all issues of planning for the well being of your pets.
Estate Planning.
Emergency Powers of Attorney.
Caretaker and Trust arrangements.
Today, we remind you that your home is obviously also the home of your pets.
They deserve a safe haven as much as you.
But, you have the ability to plan and help yourself in an emergency situation and they do not.
One simple way to minimize emergency problems for you and your pets is the use of signage for your doors and windows.
These small signs act as both a warning and an alert for others.
They advise strangers entering your home that there are pets present inside.
And, in an emergency situation, as in the case of police or firefighters in your home, the signs can act as a direction arrow to increase safety measures.
In addition, these signs can contain emergency contact information for the pet owners, veterinarians, pet sitters and others.
Two free sources for this documentation are the Humane Society and PetPlace.com
You can go to these sites, download and print the stickers for free and then…use them.
Planning for you and your pets…everyday and emergency…it is a good idea.
Why Don't You Love Your Cat?
Arca Max Publishing recently reported a story that stated that cats do not receive the same affection that dogs do and as a result, cats do not get as much medical care as dogs.
Citing a study, published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the report found,
…that U.S. pet owners generally have stronger bonds with their dogs than their cats and are therefore more attached to dogs and thus more attentive to their needs. Cats are substantially underserved medically, which presents problems not only in terms of their health, but in terms of public health, the researchers said.
Even cats sharing living quarters with the family dog are seen by veterinarians significantly less than dogs from the same household. One-third of the cats from these households did not visit a veterinarian annually, compared with 13 percent of dogs in the same household.
The study said many owners think their dogs are in need of more routine medical care because they are outside more often than cats and many cat owners are under the misconception that cats "do not get sick and ... can take care of themselves."
However, cats can hide sickness, so often cats don't see a veterinarian until they're profoundly ill.
Do not forget to take care of all of your pets…dogs…cats…birds…turtles…fish… rabbits…whatever your pet.
You assumed that responsibility when you took them into your home and domesticated them.
Planning for the well being of your pets is a ongoing comprehensive process. Medical care and estate planning are both essential aspects of that plan.
Women Control the Wealth
The American Bar Association Center for Continuing Legal education is one of the more active forums available for ongoing education for attorneys.
The ABA recently announced an upcoming event entitled,” Working with Women Clients in Estate Planning: The Difference is More Than Just Changing Pronouns
The programs descriptions states,
…Women today control more than 50% of the total personal wealth in the United States and the percentage is expected to rise in the coming decade. However, many American women have not done estate planning to protect their assets, their families, and themselves. Since most women will survive their husbands, the need for estate planning continues and often becomes more important for widows. Working with women clients requires a different approach than working with men, and estate attorneys need to understand the nuances of designing client services for this growing market…
Informal polls taken among attorneys seem to indicate that very often the woman is the driving force behind the estate planning process for the family.
Even in today’s society of two working members in many families, the wife is generally the spouse more concerned with the failure to plan.
Many women have seen friends that have to cope with the death of their spouse and the potential effect on the family with the lack of a financial plan. This is particularly true today with many second marriages with assets and children that are yours, mine and ours.
If you find yourself in the position of being the one leading the push for necessary estate planning, try to keep the process moving forward.
If you have a toothache, you have an instant need and go to the dentist right away to have it fixed.
On the other hand, the lack of an estate plan is not something that involves an instant need.
Estate planning is easy, very easy, to delay and eventually the delay becomes a failure to act and then it is too late.
Discuss an estate plan with your family, your attorney, your insurance agent, your banker and your broker.
You need to protect your children, your assets and of course, your pets.
How did you become involved with estate planning for pet owners?
I am curious as to how and why you became involved in estate planning for pet owners. I have been a practicing attorney for over thirty years and although it was in the corporate field, I have never met another attorney who even talked about this area of the law.
Mike, Atlanta, Georgia
Mike…my initial interest in this area actually began about seven years ago. Our firm was representing a very wealthy family on all of their business matters and I had been trying for a long time to meet with them to discuss and combine strategic business and estate planning.
They finally agreed and at the initial estate planning consultation conference, the wife, Pam, mentioned that they had two Abyssinian cats and asked what they could do to provide for them in their estate planning.
A young associate who was a part of the conference, burst out laughing and said,” You want to leave a bunch of money to some cats? ”
With that comment, both clients stated that they considered the cats a part of their family and that they would be more comfortable with counsel who understood their feelings…and that they had no interest in continuing with the meeting.
I then began to ask other attorneys if they regularly included pets as a part of their estate planning. Even though many of them were pet owners, not a one of them had even discussed pets with their clients.
With an estimated 65%-75% of all homes in the United States having pets, it was not hard for me to determine that estate planning for pet owners would be an area of growth and future interest for attorneys.
Finally, you might be interested to know that Georgia is one of the few states that does not yet have a Statutory Pet Trust. However, there are other legal methods available to provide for your pets in Georgia and, if you request, we can provide additional information in those matters.
Nobody has a better pet than you
Nobody has a better pet than you.
Nobody has a cuter pet than you, whether it is a big ugly pooch or a small little kitty.
It is your pet, your companion…and your friend.
Unfortunately the law, in most instances, still views this beloved creature as a piece of personal property, not much different than a couch or your car.
Many pet owners are using a Pet Trust to provide for the future plans of their pets. However, some owners are uncomfortable with this document and are looking to protect their pets the old fashioned way- via their wills.
If you are in the process of preparing a will for you or you and your spouse, you can certainly include clauses that reference your pets.
If you already have a will, you can add and a codicil (a change or addition to a will) to that document. Generally, there are a number of different types of clauses that refer to your pet and your estate planning.
One clause simply gives your animal to another individual upon your death and asks that the individual treat your pet as their companion animal. You direct that you executor give a certain amount of money to that individual and request that the funds be used for the care of your pet. You can also set out specific instructions for the care of your pet.
However, the downside of using a will for estate planning for your pets is that because they are still considered an asset or property by the Courts, the clause may not be enforceable.
The Trust and Estate Highlights of the law firm of Williams Mullen suggest that one solution is to leave the money to the individual (caretaker). They point out, however... that the individual has no legal obligation to use the money on behalf of the pet, so the owner must trust this person unequivocally. Moreover, if too much money is left to the caretaker, relatives and other interested parties may challenge the pet care bequest. In addition, pet owners must consider that the caretaker might accept the money but refuse the pet. Using a conditional bequest, this leaves the money contingent on the caretaker taking the pet, guards against this problem. This does not, however, prevent the caretaker from accepting the pet and then disposing of it.
In addition, the individual cannot be held accountable for the use of the funds if they decide to spend the money or other things (like a trip to the Bahamas) and remember, your will only becomes effective upon your death. If there is an emergency situation regarding your pet, the will is of no use.
Estate planning for your Pet...when to begin?
Pet trusts, which had their beginnings in the late 1980’s, have become widely accepted in recent years. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia have specific Pet Trust statutes on their books and there are other forms of documentation that can be prepared to provide for your pets in those states without Pet Statutes.
If you die without making advanced and sufficient plans for your pets, they will probably end up in a shelter and eventually euthanized.
According to the Human Society of the United States, HSUS, some 6 to 8 million cats and dogs will enter a shelter this year and nearly half of that number or 3 to 6 million will be euthanized.
As many as 25 percent of families with a pet have provided for their animals through wills or trusts, said Sara Amundson, executive director with the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "People really consider pets as members of their family," she said.
When should you begin your planning for your pet trust or the use of a will to determine your pet’s future care?
Owners should start thinking about establishing a trust "the minute" they acquire an animal, recommended Kim Bressant-Kibwe, trusts and estates counsel with American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Bressant-Kibwe. ASPCA,
"Life isn't guaranteed to any one of us," she said. "People are particularly interested in pet trusts because they reach beyond the grave."
"Pick the right person and hope that when the time comes that they'll have enough integrity to follow your wishes," Bressant-Kibwe said. "Leaving a little money for them sweetens the deal."
Estate planning for your business, your family and your pets is essential because none of us knows what tomorrow may bring. We make plans to try to minimize the uncertainty, reduce the stress, eliminate the chaos and ease the fear of sudden life changing events.
Estate planning for your business, your family and your pets should begin today.
Nothing is too good for your Pet
For those non believers, who think that pet owners spend way too much time, energy and money on their friendly companions…for food, veterinary bills, toys, beds, clothing, studded collars, licenses, implanted identification, pet insurance, estate planning…a growing number of pet owners are turning to custom-built wheelchairs to restore mobility to their furry friends whose legs, hips or backs don't work.
The owners' goals are simple: to reward their pets' unconditional love with whatever it takes for the animals to live normally. www.washingtonpost.com.
According to this article in the Washington Post, the first pet wheelchairs were developed in the late 1980’s and can cost between $250 and $500 each.
Nothing, it seems, is too good for family pets.
