The first full week of May is designated as National Pet Week in the United States. There are a number of ways you can help celebrate and bring attention to the needs of pets during the celebratory week. If you have a pet that you consider part of the family, National Pet Week is also a great time to sit down with your estate planning attorney and incorporate your pet into your estate plan if you have yet to do so. Doing so ensures that your pet will not be overlooked if something happens to you in the future.
National Pet Week – May 5-11, 2019
National Pet Week will be celebrated May 5-11, 2019. Created in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), National Pet Week continues to be sponsored by the Auxiliary to the AVMA as a way to foster responsible pet ownership, recognize the human-animal bond, and increase public awareness of veterinary medicine. This year the AVMA is celebrating “A Lifetime of Love” again for National Pet Week, and this year’s theme is “More than a Pet, More than a Friend … Family.”
For veterinarians and other professionals interested in promoting National Pet Week, the AVMA continues to provide a member toolkit for National Pet Week. The toolkit features images and posts for social media, logos, ways to observe the event in the clinic, and promotional marketing ideas. Through April 26, clinic owners can order a free poster for their clinic. The Association has chosen a focus for each day of National Pet Week, starting with selecting the right pet for the family. The focus for each day is as follows:
- Sunday—Choose well. Commit for life.
- Monday—Socialize now. New doesn’t have to be scary.
- Tuesday—Exercise body. Exercise mind.
- Wednesday—Love your pet? See your vet!
- Thursday—Pet population control: Know your role.
- Friday—Emergencies happen. Be prepared.
- Saturday—Give them a lifetime of love.
How Can You Celebrate National Pet Week?
In America, the family pet is typically considered just that – part of the family. To illustrate the role pets play in our lives, consider the following facts and figures:
- Each year, Americans spend $50 billion on their pets
- 1 in 3 Americans admits to giving their dog a birthday present
- 1 in 4 has paid for professional photographs of their furry family member
- 9 out of 10 Americans consider their pet to be part of the family
If you are one of the millions of Americans who have a beloved pet that you consider part of the family, shouldn’t your pet be included in your estate plan right along with the rest of the family? Tragically, over half a million dogs and cats end up in shelters across the country every year as a result of the death or incapacity of their human owner. The good news is that you can prevent that from happening to your pet.
While there are several ways to include your pet in your estate plan, using a pet trust to protect and provide for your pet is, by far, the best option. Like any trust, you will appoint someone as the Trustee of the trust and you will fund the trust with sufficient assets to care for your pet during your incapacity or after your death. The Trustee of your trust is legally obligated to use the utmost care when managing the trust assets and to follow the trust terms just as you wrote them. Those terms can be used to dictate how you wish your pet to be cared for in as much, or as little, detail as you wish. A pet trust provides the legal oversight you need to ensure that the funds you leave behind will be used exclusively for your pet and that your pet’s care will be continued in the manner to which your pet is accustomed. Don’t risk leaving your pet out in the cold. Celebrate National Pet Week by ensuring your pet’s safety and security.
Contact Lincolnshire Pet Planning Lawyers
For additional information, please download our FREE estate planning worksheet. If you have additional questions or concerns about pet planning, contact the experienced Lincolnshire pet planning lawyers at Hedeker Law, Ltd. by calling (847) 913-5415 to schedule an appointment.
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