Pet Care
Make a practical plan for your pets’ immediate care, long-term caregiver, medical needs, daily routine, and financial support.
Planning for the Animals Who Depend on You
Your pets depend on you for food, shelter, medical care, and companionship. If you die unexpectedly or become unable to care for them, someone else may need to make decisions quickly.
Planning ahead helps the people caring for your pets understand their needs and find important information. A clear written plan can make the transition less disruptive and stressful for your animals.
Pets Need Care Immediately
A will or trust may not be found or reviewed right away. Leave immediate-care instructions somewhere a trusted person can access quickly, and make sure someone can enter your home if you are hospitalized or die unexpectedly.
Choose the People Who Will Care for Your Pets
The most important part of a pet care plan is identifying who could step in. Speak with each person before naming them. Make sure they understand the responsibility and are genuinely willing to help.
Questions to Discuss With a Caregiver
- Can you provide immediate care during an emergency?
- Could you provide a permanent home if necessary?
- Are pets permitted where you live?
- Can you safely manage this animal’s size, behavior, and physical needs?
- Do you already have animals, children, or household restrictions to consider?
- Would you be willing to keep bonded animals together?
- What financial help or supplies would you need?
- Who should be contacted if you later become unable to provide care?
Write Down What Each Pet Needs
Create a separate care record for each pet. Keep it where a trusted person can find it quickly, and update it whenever the pet’s health, routine, or behavior changes.
Identification & Health
- Name, age, breed, color, and identifying features
- A clear and recent photograph
- Microchip number and identification-tag information
- Veterinarian and emergency-clinic contact information
- Medical conditions, allergies, and past health concerns
- Medication names, doses, schedules, and refill information
- Vaccination and insurance records
Daily Life & Behavior
- Feeding schedule, usual foods, and dietary restrictions
- Exercise, bathroom, sleeping, and grooming routines
- Temperament, fears, triggers, and handling concerns
- Relationships with children and other animals
- Commands, routines, or words the pet recognizes
- Favorite toys, beds, hiding places, and comfort items
- Contact information for sitters, walkers, groomers, trainers, or boarding facilities
Explain How to Enter the Home and Find Supplies
A caregiver may know what your pet needs but still be unable to help without access to the home, medication, food, or equipment. Document how an authorized person can enter and where essential supplies are stored.
- Keys, door codes, alarm instructions, or building access information
- Food, treats, bowls, and feeding equipment
- Medication and written dosing instructions
- Leashes, harnesses, carriers, crates, and mobility equipment
- Litter, bedding, cleaning supplies, and waste-disposal items
- Medical records, insurance information, and emergency contacts
Make Sure Someone Knows Animals Are Home
Consider carrying a wallet card or adding an emergency note to your phone stating that animals may be alone at home. Include the name and phone number of the person who should be contacted.
Plan for Costs & Legal Arrangements
Pet care can involve significant ongoing expenses. Think realistically about what the animal may need and how those costs will be handled.
Costs to Consider
Possible expenses include food, veterinary care, medication, grooming, boarding, insurance, emergency treatment, transportation, training, specialized equipment, and end-of-life care.
Older animals and pets with chronic medical or behavioral needs may require substantially more support than routine estimates suggest.
Ways People May Provide Support
- Money left to a caregiver through an estate plan
- A pet trust, where permitted by state law
- Pet insurance and access to policy information
- A designated account or other arrangement reviewed by an attorney
- Prearranged support through a rescue, sanctuary, or care program
Pets cannot legally own money or property directly. Some people leave money to a caregiver, while others establish a pet trust that provides funds and instructions for one or more animals.
Pet-trust rules and estate-planning requirements vary by state. An estate-planning attorney can explain the available options and help make sure the arrangement will work as intended.
A Will Is Not an Emergency Care Plan
A will can state who you would like to receive your pets, but it may not be found or reviewed immediately after your death. Pets need food, medication, shelter, and supervision right away. Keep immediate-care instructions somewhere trusted people can access without waiting for the estate process.
Prepare for Temporary Emergencies
A pet care plan should cover temporary situations as well as permanent ones. You may be unable to care for your animals because of hospitalization, injury, evacuation, travel disruption, or another unexpected event.
Leave emergency contact information with at least one trusted person. Make sure that person knows how to enter your home, reach your veterinarian, locate supplies, and follow medication instructions.
Home Access
Arrange a safe way for an authorized person to enter the home and find the animals quickly.
Veterinary Contact
Ask your veterinarian to keep an emergency contact on file and make sure that person can obtain necessary medical information.
Temporary Placement
Identify a person, boarding facility, foster resource, or other safe place that could provide short-term care.
Plan for Animals With Specialized Needs
Birds, reptiles, horses, farm animals, exotic animals, and pets with chronic medical, behavioral, or mobility needs may require caregivers with particular knowledge, equipment, housing, or permits.
Do not assume that a willing friend can safely manage specialized care. Identify the skills, facilities, transportation, supplies, and professional contacts the animal requires.