By Stephanie Kress

More and more, there is a growing concern for a family's pet and what its future would be should the owner pass on. Owners are now looking to prepare for the day they become ill or unable to take care for their animals. The North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, NY, has developed a program that, in exchange for a small bequest promised in a will, determines that the pet's needs will be met and the ultimate goal of seeking to place the pet with another loving family will be reached. A small but growing number of states allow pet trusts, where the pet is given to a person and funds for the animal's care are held by a trustee, with some left to a residual charity to remove any financial temptation. Some veterinary schools offer longtime care for a pet left to them in exchange for a one-time payment of $25,000. San Francisco's SPCA's Sido Service is free with membership and guarantees placement of a pet in a new home along with medical care. In other states, the best option is to make arrangements with friends and family beforehand as to who will take responsibility and how the pet will be properly cared for. Legal remedies are frowned upon, and horror stories have been realized when the care of a pet is left to bank trustees or lawyers. The programs provided by the North Shore Animal League state that if a pet comes from a home, he or she should be back in a home and have that one-on-one relationship. Lawmakers, however, are looking to change the legal realities of a pet trust fund. A bill is now being considered in New York that would make it the seventh state to allow people to set up trusts specifically for the care of a pet. Money could be set aside for a pet's food and veterinary services, or to cover the more costly needs of boarding and feeding larger animals, like a horse. A pet can live for 20 years, and people want to make sure their pets won't be mistreated or worse, euthanized before a proper home can be found. Too often this is the case. Even those who do make arrangements often handle them in ways that are not legal or don't work out well. Every pet owner should have some form of "durable power of attorney" designating someone to make immediate decisions for your pet and its long-term placement. Opponents feel that the bill is going a bit too far. The reasoning is that setting up a legal construct for something that should just be between friends is overdoing it. Owners, however, feel that over the years people tend to forget their promises; if the agreements are in writing, they have an impact legally. A pet is a family member and should be provided for as such when the owner passes on, and people want the peace of mind of knowing that their wishes will be carried out after their passing. A prime example of the benefits of setting up a pet trust fund is when a pet is orphaned after his family is killed. Amid the grief of such a horrible event, the prime concern becomes the future of the orphaned pet. Since animals can detect and sense loss, the pet begins to realize the sadness of the loss. This can be quite painful emotionally for a pet and can lead to depression. Taking in such a pet can bring much joy and happiness to both the animal and the new owner. A pet gives so much love and affection, and asks for so little in return. It is the owner's obligation to make provisions for a pet in the event that a tragedy should occur. The owner's wishes can be carried out, and the hardship of finding a loving and caring home for the pet can be avoided. Pets with special needs and health problems especially need to have the proper care provided to them after the owner's death, and arrangements need to be specific as possible in terms of their health care. Finding a new owner who is willing and able to care for a pet with special needs also has to be a priority, and that responsibility has to be taken into account when considering the adoption of a dog or cat with special needs. The pet should fit into your lifestyle. Questions to ask are whether you will be home to take care of a new puppy or kitten, or if you should rather consider a mature pet that can be left alone for several hours a day. -Stephanie Kress, is the Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Theiss, Lipner & Co., LLP. She is a graduate of The New York Institute of Technology with a BFA in Design Graphics. She has been with Theiss, Lipner & Co., LLP, since 1995. Stephanie can be contacted in New York at (718 ) 225-7325 or in Miami Beach, Fla., at (305) 535-0950 c/o Marshall Lipner CPA.

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