Every Christmas growing up, my grandfather gave me a $25 US Savings Bond destined for the safe deposit box, along with a gift to open under the tree. With a 5th grade education, he well understood someday he wouldn’t be around to help me.
The holiday season is filled with compassion and giving, and the best gift your animal could receive is security. Many pet owners consider their pets as family members, so doesn’t it make sense to plan for them similar to how we plan for our children and family?
In 2009 Connecticut became the 40th state to enact pet trust laws. Since 2016, all 50 states including the District of Columbia have enabled animal owners to establish trusts to ensure the proper care of their pets when they are no longer able to do so. This landmark legislation demonstrates a nationwide recognition of the exceptional value people place on companion animals today, and in so doing, expands the rights of these creatures under the law.
Planning for the future care of your companion animals could simply involve a bequest in a will of your family pets to a trusted family member or friend. On the other end of the spectrum, you could place your house in a trust with directives for a caretaker to live in your home and care for your animals during their lifetimes. Regardless of the terms of a pet trust, most state laws require checks and balances between a Trustee and a Trust Protector to ensure your wishes regarding the future care of your beloved pets are fulfilled.
The Center for Animal Litigation knows that nobody will care for your pets like you do, but there are cost-effective means to help insure your animals always receive the protections you care about and they so deserve.
Here’s wishing you and all the animals in your lives a heartwarming holiday.
