“Fat Cats and Lucky Dogs” Now Available

Professor Gerry W. Beyer (Texas Tech University School of Law) and Barry Seltzer (Barrister & Solicitor, Ontario, Canada) have recently published their book entitled Fat Cats & Lucky Dogs — How to leave (some of) your estate to your pets.

Here is a description of the book:

In this book, we cover a range of options to provide for our pets’ future under such circumstances when we are no longer mentally or physically able to take care of them. We also discuss a number of related topics, such as pet retirement homes, pre-planning after-death arrangements for pets, and working around special problems associated with exotic pets.

Pets are becoming more important in our lives. This is borne out by recent research, which shows that 75% of American dog owners view their animals as family members and more than 50% of cat owners feel the same. About 20% of pet owners have actually changed romantic relationships because of disputes over pets. Nearly 40% of pet owners carry pet pictures in their wallets and more than 30% have taken time off work because of sick pets. A majority of pet dogs and cats sleep indoors, most on their owner’s bed or on a blanket or pet bed. A recent survey revealed that more pet owners would rather be stranded on a desert island with their pets than their spouse.

If our pets are important to us, we owe it to them to do what they cannot – ensure their well-being when we are no longer able. Fat Cats and Lucky Dogs explains in detail how to do just that.