Taking Care of Your Pet When You No Longer Can

The New York City Bar has provided a brochure detailing the measures you should take to care for your pet if you die or become hospitalized.  Besides including a provision in your will concerning your pet’s care, advance arrangements should also be made to care for your pet during the period between your death and the admission of your will to probate.  You should designate a friend, relative, shelter, or charitable organization to care for your pet upon your death or incapacitation as well as designate alternate caretakers.  Besides designating a permanent caretaker, other options include conditional bequests, pet trusts, or perhaps euthanasia.  For a complete description of the various measures pet owners can take and a collection of sample will provisions, please click here.

See Committee on Animal Law, Providing for Your Pets in the Event of Your Death or Hospitalization, New York City Bar, March 2013.