Animal Shelters Offer Hospice Care with Foster Families for Dying Animals

Some animal shelters have a hospice program that places abandoned, terminally-ill pets with a foster family who will care for the pet until the pet dies.  Although these programs provide a safe and loving place for the animals, the programs are offered at a very small number of shelters because of the emotional and monetary costs, as well as the time commitments, associated with caring for the animals.   

Because pet hospice-foster programs are small in number, those who wish to ensure that their pets are cared for during their final days should consider making provisions for such care in their estate plan.

For more information, including the story of one hospice-foster volunteer at MaxFund in Denver, see Sharon L. Peters, Pet Talk: Hospice fosters offer dogs, cats a peaceful death, USA Today, Jan. 26, 2010; see also Gerry W. Beyer, Pet Trusts: Fido With a Fortune.