Article on Writing a Definitive Pet Trust

Rachel Hirschfeld recently published an Article entitled, The Perfect Pet Trust: Saving Your Dog from the Unexpected, 9 Alb. Gov’t L. Rev. 107 (2016). Provided below is a summary of the Article:

This article is about pet trusts, the legal documents that secure an animal’s uninterrupted care. The goal is to guide the reader through the process of writing a definitive pet trust, and to highlight the potential mistakes and pitfalls that could invalidate these documents.

What is a pet trust? A pet trust allows an individual, the Pet Owner, to name a Pet Guardian and, if they wish, to leave funds providing for the continued maintenance of animals, in the event that the Pet Owner is unable to.

The American Pet Products Association (“APPA”) estimates that about sixty-two percent of U.S. households have pets, and an astounding $60.59 million dollars will be spent on pets in the United States in 2015. This is three times the amount of money that was spent on pets approximately twenty years ago.

Clearly, times have changed and attitudes are evolving. An ever growing number of Americans consider their pets as more than just animals. According to The Harris Poll, there is a tendency for people to elevate their pets to the status equivalent to that of a family member. Just look at any Pet Owner’s smartphone and you will see photos of their pets, along with other family members.

Because people are passionate about their pets, providing uninterrupted care for them is often a concern. When something happens to a Pet Owner, such as an accident, illness, or death, a pet trust becomes especially critical.

Sadly, if there is no legal document or binding plan in place, the court may make decisions for what it terms the abandoned animal.