Who Would Look After Your Dogs?

[Shmurps]

Had a conversation today that's given me the worries.

If something should happen to you who would look after your dog/dogs?

We still haven't done our will yet Yes I know.

We don't have children and I know where the money would go.

I know that our grey will be ok being a GAP dog but now I will have to think

where Moo will go

[minxy]

Hmm that's a good question. I suppose I've never really thought about something like that. Granted, neither OH or I have wills just yet. Will arrange that once we get married next May. I don't have my dog yet, but I imagine my parents would look after it. They do have 2 dogs at the moment, so their circumstances at the time would definitely depend on whether they would be able to look after our dog should anything happen to us.

Edited July 29, 2010 by minxy

[casowner]

I had this talk with OH the other day actually, Jake would be fine staying at home with OH but my little old pom cross would be pts as she is old, has a heart murmur, separation anxiety and does not cope with strangers in the house even when they visit. My OH tolerates her but doesn't like her (if that makes sense, she was mine before we met), he would never be mean to her at all and she knows he will always give her food off his plate (I won't), but it wouldn't be a quality life for her. She doesn't adapt well to change - car rides, vet visits etc etc infact my son is nearly 8 and she has only just started voluntarily going up to him for a pat.

[noisymina]

I guess my next dog will have to be a Grey, then.

[Bjelkier]

If it was just myself that say dropped dead my OH would keep them without any issues.

If we both went the Samoyeds go back to their breeder and my Lab goes to my brother

[claireybell]

OH gets the dogs.

However if something happens to both of us then my sister gets the house cause she also gets the dogs. I discussed this with her before I got my first dog and she agreed to it. I know she would treat them exactly how I'd like and love them as much as I do.

She's the best sister in the world

[Vickie]

OH would keep the boys, the girls would need to go to a friend. Hmmm, I really should think about who that would be

[Remarkabull]

OH would keep them, however I do worry about that because I definately spend alot more time with them than he does and I am alpha in this house. Not sure how they would cope. Would possibly ask my sister to take 1 or 2 of them (we have 5) cause I know she would love them and look after them as well as me.

[Affie]

Im hoping my breeders would take them back as I know my family could not cope with the coat on afghans, in saying that my sister has such a sweet spot for my boy afghan that maybe she would clip him off and keep him as long as he could put up with 4 dalmations

[Little Gifts]

My sister (and her dog) now live with me (and my 2 dogs) so we made a pact that if one of us goes the other has to care for all three dogs. We share the care now and try to meet each other's idiosyncracies.

My old girl is almost 16 and there will come a time when she leaves us for the rainbow bridge. I tentatively asked my sister if we could still get another dog (probably a foster) after that happened. She surprised me by saying she couldn't imagine us without a house full of dogs and expected that at some point we would head back out to acreage and have even more dogs than we have now. Awww she's a good sister!

[W Sibs]

The boyfriend gets the dog if anything happens to me.

There is still a huge debate at home on who gets the dogs (they won't be separated) if something bad happens to the boyfriend and I. His side of the family loves Charlie and Emmy as much as my side. My side has more experience with dogs then their side, but their side of the family will have more time... either way, Charlie and Emmy will continue to have a very sweet life.

[WreckitWhippet]

My OH would keep a couple of them ( if he wanted to ) and the others would go back to their breeders and they could keep or rehome them.

I've been entrusted by a couple of people ( in the event of their death ) to look after and rehome their dogs, as I see fit. It's not a nice thought and I hope I never have to but they know that I will do the right thing by the dogs.

[PRADA68]

I have nobody to take my dogs and my express wishes are they will be PTS and come with me. My sister knows this and will follow it out.

[Loving my Oldies]

Make a will and put it all in writing, together with funds from your estate to go to the people who will be taking the dogs, cats, birds, etc.

How many times have we read in the Rescue forum over the years that when someone has died, no one in the family wants the responsibility of any pets that the deceased may have left.

People talk a lot, but when it comes to the crunch, they can fail to step up.

[Genabee]

We have this in our will. If just one of us dies, the dog will stay with the other (along with any kids we have). If we both move on from this world, my sister in law is legal guardian of our dog and any children we have. I know if she wasn't able to have the pooch, my parents would have her. She would be looked after.

If husband and I separate (God I hope it never happens), dog will live with me (mainly because of his work and she is really my dog!). If we have kids, he will get the dog when he gets the kids.

[wagsalot]

OH if anything happened to me. If something happened to the both of us, then my parents would take them.

[poodlemum]

Make a will and put it all in writing, together with funds from your estate to go to the people who will be taking the dogs, cats, birds, etc.

How many times have we read in the Rescue forum over the years that when someone has died, no one in the family wants the responsibility of any pets that the deceased may have left.

People talk a lot, but when it comes to the crunch, they can fail to step up.

Wise words! I remember years ago a friend of mine died of cancer - she had a lovely cocker spaniel who was very popular with everyone in the park where we all used to walk our dogs. Any one of us would gladly have given Winnie a home, but my friend's sister had her PTS because she "didn't have time to look after a dog"

I know OH will look after the dogs or, if he is not able to, my sister will - I have put it in my will.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

My Agility instructor keeps saying - your dog can stay with me. But you won't get her back.

I'm going to test that out soon. Two people from my dog club have offered to mind "evil hound". I plan to organise back up with professional kennels if she causes too much trouble or in case of emergency.

She spent most of last night at agility cadging treats off other people. I reckon if I was homeless, she'd collect enough food for both of us and probably a place to stay too. Until she finds their favourite sox or they forget to shut the toilet door (bye bye dunny roll).

[Steve]

Some of the stuff I ve seen since we began MDBA Pacers has really educated me on what can happen if you don't have a plan in place - not just if you die but if you have an accident or become ill etc.

Families think they are doing the right thing sometimes but it often means they are making decisions which might make sense to them but are not taking into account the way peopel can feel about their animals.

We had one where the lady owned 2 GSDs and had a heart attack.While she was in hospital some of her friends decided it would be best for her if the dogs were removed. Some justified this by saying that the reason she was ill was because she had dogs sleeping in the house! Others felt that she would be too ill when she came home to look after them, some felt that the fur they dropped in the house etc would increase her work load and that wouldn't be good for her. I could write a book on what went on and how many people in the small country town got involved - each justifying why they wanted to send the two dogs to the pound.

We were able to prevent that happening because we had the papers signed and sealed to give us the ability to make decisions regarding the dogs. When the lady was released and was back home with her dogs again I waited till she settled in and then told her what the town's people including her priest wanted to do with her dogs. She told me if she had no dogs to come home to she wouldn't want to come home at all and I knew exactly what she meant.ive no doubt that her recovery would have been as successful without them.

There was another in WA where the owner had a terminal illness and had only a very short time to live. He left his dog with his neighbours who promised to look after the dog forever.

The poor bugger only had a few days to live and the neighbours decided they couldn't wait for him to die and that they couldn't stand the dog so they were going to put it to sleep. We fought like mad to get that dog out so the owner could go to God knowing the dog was safe but because the neighbours had control we lost and the owner died knowing his dog got there before him. That was the one where I kept having to tell myself if I was going to keep doing this job Id have to toughen up.

There are dozens of other examples I could speak of but the fact is that you really do need to have something in place with someone who understands the human animal bond and who values your wishes. Don't assume that your family and friends really do get it and at the very least incorporate a safety net if they change their minds or they cant cope etc.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Steve

[Kody's_Mum]

Oh Steve - how sad for that WA man. I can't even begin to imagine how that would of been for him.

I am lucky as my parents are always threatening to keep Kody when we visit, so I know that he would be more than welcome as they absolutely love him, I don't know what I would do otherwise. I guess he could go back to his breeder, I should really have another back up plan.