Giving Animals a Future booklet

Planning for Your Animal Companions Our animal companions are an important part of our families, and we know how much they depend on us. It is therefore important for us to make preparations now for their future care in case something happens to us – in order to ensure their well-being and to make their transition to a life without us as stress-free as possible. The following are some steps you can take to ensure that your animal companions are cared for: • Identify one or more people who can come into your home at a moment’s notice to care for and console your animals until their long-term care has been arranged. It is important for the person to be familiar with your animals and vice versa. • Files on each of your animal companions should be kept at your home – they will be helpful in an emergency as well as for finding new homes, if necessary. The files should include, at a minimum, people to contact in an emergency; your animals’ names, ages, and genders; the name and address of your veterinarian; your animals’ diets, feeding schedules, personalities, and likes and dislikes as well as a description of their current lifestyle. The files should be updated at least once a year, and critical information should be carried in your wallet as well. • Select a long-term caretaker or caretakers for your animals – this should be someone you trust. It’s a good idea to name one or more backups and to keep the list current. Information about your animals should be shared annually with the potential long-term caretakers as well as those who will be providing immediate care. • Consult your solicitor to complete your plans. You should consider providing for the future of your animal companions in your estate plans. • Put an “animals inside” sticker on the front and back doors or windows of your house for emergency workers or if you have animals who might hide from strangers.

Create a Legacy for Animals • PETA.org.uk/Legacy