One of my clients recently passed away without anyone to care for her little poodle.

She is staying with us at our office till we find a good home for her.

It brings up a topic we often don’t want to think about. What happens to our pets should we become ill or pass away?

Pets, especially for our older clients, provide companionship and sometimes a reason to get up every day. As such, the care of our pet is very important. Especially if we are ever hospitalized or pass away.

Ayour pet’s caretaker, it’s important to take steps to provide for their care. Your will should contain instructions for the long-term care of your pet. This includes the time between your death and the admission of the will to probate.

In the case of hospitalization, you need to make advance arrangements for the care of your pet.

Designate a friend or relative who will be willing to take your pet into their home and take care of them properly.

Your selected caretaker will have the rights and responsibilities of ownership. You will need a qualified attorney to draft your will so you can leave your pet to a caretaker.

You should also name an alternate caretaker or caretakers in case the first named person is unable or unwilling to take your pet when the time comes.

Another alternative is to give the executor of the estate the discretion to select from several prearranged caretakers named by you in your will.

You need to notify these people in advance that they could be selected. The executor should be able to decide who will be best able to care for your pet.

In all 50 states laws prevent a pet owner from leaving any part of his or her estate outright to an animal. What can be done is to leave an amount of money to the caretaker along with a request that the money be used for the pet’s care.

In most states it is possible to establish a trust to care for your pet where your pet is the beneficiary. The trust will name a trustee who will manage the it and use the funds to care for your pet.

The caretaker must be someone you trust and who will take care of your pet properly. You should also plan to leave only a reasonable amount of money for the care of your pet or pets.

If you don’t have a relative or friend who will take your pet, consider looking for a charitable organization whose mission is to care for or place companion animals in suitable homes.

You should make sure the charity agrees to take care of your pet for his or her life or find a home for your pet. If using an animal shelter, check out the shelter to be sure they will provide the care you want for your pet and have a good reputation. If the shelter is going to adopt out your pet, find out what steps they go through to adopt out a pet.

This is a difficult topic, but you are ensuring your companion will be taken care of if you are unable to do so.