Post by Trish Manche
It’s hard to face the reality as we get older that we might have pets who outlive us. Unfortunately it’s a cold, hard truth. Dogs and cats can live anywhere from 10 – 20 years depending on their size and their health. What is your plan for your pet(s) when you pass or can no longer care for them? Do you have a plan and are you sure the plan you have is still viable? In rescue this is always a concern of ours.
The first question, what is your plan for your pet(s) when you pass. You may think you have a plan, but we have seen the plans made fall through. “I can’t take the animal(s), just take them to the pound or call a rescue” may be your trusted caregiver’s response following your death. We’ve seen it happen in rescue and I’ve seen this occur personally. Sometimes a trusted friend will step in and help to place your pet(s), but there aren’t many who want to take on the burden.
You would be surprised how many people in their 60s, 70s, and beyond answer the question, “What happens if you can no longer care for your pet” with, “that will never happen”. You may be able to afford the expenses associated with a pet long into these ages, but can you still safely walk your dog, change the water in their bowls, maintain cleanliness in the yard or the litter box, not to mention driving them to the vet. What happens if you need to go into assisted living?
You may add language to your will or your living trust regarding your pet’s care in these situations. Perhaps leave support of some sort for these pets that may encourage the appointed individual to be a bit more invested in their disposition. As a rescue, we commit to always trying to take pets back who were adopted through us, but we may not have a foster available and it may take some time to find one. We must have a foster available or we cannot take a pet, we have no facility to board them nor funds to cover long term boarding. What if that dog or cat is 10 -15 years old and has health issues. Although we have seen some wonderful success stories for some pets in this situation, older dogs and cats are a hard placement. It’s always best to have a solid plan on your own for what will happen.
Society has certainly changed over the years when parents could absolutely depend on the children or other relatives to step up and step into the caretaker role for a parent’s beloved pet. Sadly, it is not the way of the world these days. This gives us hard choices when placing pets, we have to have some comfort that the pet we have worked so hard to save will be cared for during its lifetime.
Please consider what will happen to your pet(s) and their care when you are no longer able or no longer here to provide care. These are loyal loving pets who offer us so much. The saying is that pets are a small portion of our life, but we can be their whole life. Choose wisely when adopting the older you get. Companionship of a pet is a wonderful thing, but a 5 or 10 year old cat or dog may be able to offer the same love and comfort as a kitten or puppy who may be around long after you are gone. If you are able, maybe choose to foster, you get all the love, without the associated expense and the rescue you pick up where you leave off as a foster.