Have You Thought About Your Pet’s Future?
Those who have pets certainly know how much they do depend on their furry, feathered, scaly, or other pet friends for happiness. It’s easy to be overjoyed by the presence of a pet in your life: they are, in fact, usually thrilled to see you, too.
Have you considered, then, how much they truly depend on you? How a catastrophic accident could mean that life as they know it suddenly hangs in the balance of whether or not plans were made for them in case anything does happen to you? Fortunately for Georgia residents, we at Goldberg & Associates have considerable experience in this kind of planning, and we’d love to help you set up a trust for your pet or companion animal.
At Goldberg & Associates, we are proud to offer:
- A designated caretaker in case of your passing or incapacitation
- A designation of funds for food and supplies
- Designating funds for vet bills, therapies, and treatments
- Funds for special needs animals
- Instructions that specifically address your pet’s needs (walks, play, etc.)
- Adoption preferences for your companion animal
- Address of any behavioral, social, or aggression issues
Why Create a Pet Trust?
Peace of heart and mind
Provisions for their future
Extra security for animals with longer lifespans
Love for your companion animal(s), their safety, and their security
The Importance of a Wallet Card
With everything stored digitally these days, a wallet card seems like an old-fashioned convention. But it could save your pet’s life. If anything happens to you and nobody knows you have a pet, they could be hungry and thirsty for days on end before someone determines that they need help. Even if you do somehow store information about your pet digitally, it’s unlikely that anyone trying to operate your phone will know how to get to that information.
A wallet card is a great way to ensure the world at large can easily find information about how to take care of your pets. Some examples of great wallet cards include this one from Ventura County Animal Services, this one available from Amazon.com, or you could of course make your own. This can be especially helpful if your animals don’t live with you or are not well-known by many people, such as horses, spiders, reptiles, etc. So make yourself a wallet card or use one of the many templates available online, and rest a little easier knowing that in case of an emergency, someone will be able to attend to your animal(s) rapidly.
You’re Covered in Georgia
While laws differ from state to state on what can be covered by an animal trust and what can’t, the state of Georgia adopted legislation in 2010 specifically governing animal trusts. The intention of the legislation was to provide that a trust be created for the care of an animal that is alive during the settlor’s lifetime. The trust terminates upon the death of the animal or, if it was created to provide care for more than one animal, upon the death of the last surviving animal covered by the trust. It also allows for the designation of a specific person to care for the animal(s), and for instruction of what to do with any remaining property or funds.
While this sounds like a fairly basic document to set up, it requires the experience of an attorney with expertise specific to wills, estates and elder care. In Georgia, you won’t find a more dedicated attorney than those at Goldberg & Associates. Bob Goldberg and his colleagues are dedicated to your peace of mind, and ensuring that your pet or animal(s) receive the same treatment they have been accustomed to as designated in your trust for them. We know it won’t be the same as your caring for their wellbeing, but having a designated caretaker and funds set aside to manage their well-being is an excellent alternative, and one we can help to enable at Goldberg & Associates.