naming your pet in your will

Making a will is a necessary part of life, however unpleasant. Especially if one has children, expressing your wishes for them once you've kicked the bucket is extremely important. But what about our pets? Many of us consider them to be our children, and some of us have them in lieu of children. What can you do to ensure your pets are provided for in the event of your death?

This question was raised in my mind recently when a long-standing client called me before heading into the hospital for risky brain surgery. She asked me "if something happens, will you take my dogs?" She even set up a trust, of sorts, so they wouldn't be a financial burden to me. Of course, I said yes. (She came out of surgery just fine, incidentally, so she is still happily with her fur babies.)

What would happen to your pets, should you pass unexpectedly? How can you make sure they are provided for?

The first step is to ask a trusted animal-lover if they would be willing to adopt your animals. Although your pets may not last as long as human children, taking them on is a huge commitment, so make sure the person you choose understands and is willing to accept that. Also make sure they are aware of any special medical needs or issues your pet has and that they can handle them. Someone with a fear of needles may not be able to provide insulin injections for your diabetic cat. Know whether the person you have chosen is willing to take the animals in, himself, or if he intends to foster them until he can find an appropriate home. Express your wishes to have your animals kept together if that is important. Regardless of your specific circumstances, you'll want to be sure your expectations are clear and that you understand the intentions of the caretaker you choose.

In your will, you should indicate the person you choose, as well as a couple of alternate caretakers, should your primary caretaker be unable or unwilling to adopt your animals if the time comes.

In the U.S., a pet owner may not leave money to a pet. Instead, any funds you would like to leave for your pet may be left for the caretaker who adopts your pet. You can leave a sum of money or a percentage of your estate to that person with a request that they use the funds for the care of your animal. The caretaker has no legal obligation to use the money as requested, and you may not provide a directive, so it is important that you trust the person you choose to care for your pet. In order to avoid a potential challenge of the provisions of the will by other family members or otherwise involved parties, only a reasonable amount of money to care for the animal should be left to the caretaker. These funds may cover the cost of veterinary care, medications, food, grooming, boarding, etc.

If your trusted family members and friends aren't the animal-loving types, you can name a shelter or charity to care for your pet in the event of your death. Obviously, this isn't ideal, as shelters are already overcrowded, but it is a preferable alternative to doing nothing.

Some pet owners would rather their pets be euthanized than meet the fate of a bad home. This desire can be expressed in your will and to your pet's intended caregiver, but the caregiver is under no legal obligation to euthanize the animal.

The person your designate as your pet's caregiver will become the owner and will have all rights and decision-making power as any other pet owner, so choose wisely.

I hate thinking about what might happen to my animals (let's not even mention the human kids, here), should something happen to my husband and I. It's one of the most unpleasant things I can think of. But it's important.

I need to get on that.

Is your pet named in your will? How have you made decisions about what should happen to your pet in the event of your death? 

dog photo courtesy of

wordless wednesday: new friends

the story of my desi story: this still isn't what you're looking for

I need to address something.

If you write a blog, which many of my readers do, you understand that checking out the search engine terms that bring people to your blog can be a good indicator of what people are looking for. And you also understand that sometimes you get a few strays. 

For those of you who don't write a blog, here's a brief explanation: As a blogger, you can view the search terms people type in to their browsers that cause them to land on a page within your blog. Unless you're some sort of crazy hacker, you can't see who typed it in, so don't get all nervous. Seeing what people search for helps bloggers better understand their audience. As a side benefit, you often see some pretty entertaining search terms pop up. Some are hilarious, some make you question the intelligence of people, and some are disturbing.

There is one particular search term that keeps bringing people to my blog. After I wrote the story accident at the groomer: desi's story, I noticed that on a daily basis, multiple people are landing on my blog after using the search term "desi story." I kept seeing "desi story" pop up, and I knew that this little three-legged dog that I wrote a profile about could not possibly be so famous as to cause people to search for him on Google. Perhaps people were searching for his namesake, Desi Arnaz. I let it go.

But then it continued to pop up. Who am I to complain about increased traffic? Go, Desi, go!

I still had no clue what a "desi story" was.

I decided to Google "desi story" myself. 

Turns out (spoiler alert), a desi story is a Hindu sex story. Sometimes there are videos or pictures, and sometimes they are described as "romance" stories. I should have figured it would have something to do with sex. I mean, what else could cause such frequent, specific, searches? I didn't look too far into it, as that's not really my thing, but I got the gist. 

So for those of you who have landed here looking for a different kind of desi story, welcome, just the same. I hope on your journey to find...whatever it is you're looking for, you'll enjoy this blog, which includes a desi story, but not that kind of desi story. And it has a lot of other great stories, too, if I do say so, myself. Nothing kinky, though. Sorry about that. But if you're at all interested in a blog about family wellness as it relates to animals, stick around, or come back soon. You can even follow our stories by subscribing in that little box there on the right. You never know, if this animal wellness thing doesn't work out...

moving with pets. we just did that.

I apologize for being a bit absent over the past couple of weeks. It's not just about my blog, but I feel like I've missed out on your blogs, too, so I have some catching up to do. My excuse? Our family moved. Between the boxes and the bitching and our week-long lack of internet service (gasp!), life had to give here and there.

I rediscovered the suckage of moving. And it's even worse with young kids. And what's worse than that? Moving with pets. They are more underfoot than kids and don't understand why you can't play just now. And even more so than the kids, they don't understand why you can't find the food or a particular toy. 

And then there's the moping. All the boxes must mean something–but what? "And am I going, too, or being left behind with the dust bunnies?" We try our best to reassure, but, frankly, as much as I think my pets understand me, they "get it" even less than the human littles. I know they knew something was up. 

The drama with N.A.S.H.A. began when the first box came out. Stuff was getting packed. Like a vacation, but worse. More and more packing. As her environment became more sparse, she became more clingy. She'd greet us after a trip to the grocery store as if we'd been gone for a month. "You came BACK! THANK DOG! I knew for sure, this time was it. You were leaving me for good with all those boxes and never ever ever coming back and I'd be alone in this blank house with only a small scoop of food and half a bowl of water FOREVER" is what she'd express. She's doing the same, now that we're in the new house, but she's found her favorite toys and a cozy spot atop the back of the couch right in the sunny spot of the window. She's all set, mostly. 

Though the fish and the tortoise showed curiosity about the boxes parading by their tanks, they seemed much less affected by the packing process. It was the actual moving that got them. 

Our Sulcata Tortoise, Fluffy, has been completely depressed. He finally ate yesterday–whew! He seems to like the new back yard. There are fewer hiding places, so he has more freedom to roam. But every time he goes back in his tank, he retreats to his burrow. Sigh. I've told him all about how great the new house is, and how as soon as we get all the boxes unpacked, he can roam around downstairs (all tile, easy to clean if he decides to let something loose), but he's not convinced. We got some gorgeous organic strawberries yesterday, so I'll try to coax him with the lush greens from those today. Is there such a thing as tortoise Prozac?

And, then, the fish. My littles each have a Beta. The fish are about a year-and-a-half old and seem to weather just about anything. We transported them in their usual tanks, secure in a cardboard box, semi-secure on the lap of our teen thing. Plantie (Po's fish) did just fine, as anticipated. Plantie is a wild child, and smart, I swear. He always swims to greet us when we feed him, and I've had to rescue him from several suicide attempts as he plays dolphin and jumps the bowl when we open the cover. We have to watch that one. He didn't mind the sloshing transportation at all. Goldie (Cam's fish), on the other hand...we didn't think she was going to make it. When she arrived at the new house, she was laying on her side on the bottom of her tank. I tapped the side a little, and she sprung to life, thankfully. Over the past week, she goes from swimming fine to laying on the bottom. Perhaps she's just protesting the change in our lives. Cam cried a little, too.

Mind you, we only moved five miles away. No one changed schools or friends, and we are still feeding the same beloved pet food. So even a tiny move can cause major drama with our furry, feathered, and scaly friends. But we're in. We're finally in.

Have you moved with pets before? How did it go? 

wordless wednesday: gorgeous gypsy