What Happens To Your Pets When You Die

[julzjc]

Unfortunatly SIL whom our children would be going to is highly allergic to dogs so unfortunatly our children would have to part ways from our dogs.Indie would possibly be sent overseas to live with my mum if anything happend to both OH and I, Bonnie would be too much for their own dog though.

I never considered MDBA pacers before but will seriously look into this as i dont really want to fly Indie overseas and do not want "just anybody" to have him. Bonnie is sometimes reactive to the occasional offlead dog(when she is onlead) so again I wouldnt want her going to "just anybody" so its either MDBA pacers or pts for my darling girl. PTS sounds harsh but I would not risk anyone elses dog just because the person that had her was not responsible enough to work with/control/understand her.

[julzjc]

The rabbits would go with the kids or to my neighbours and the bearded dragons would go to a friend. Fish to the fish shop.

[Sydoo]

We have made provisions for Billie in case we both die or are otherwise incapacitated and thus unable to care for her.

We had a sudden, unexpected death in our immediate family recently that has highlighted the importance of this issue as there were no provisions or instructions for the orphaned dog. I doubt he had even thought about it, given his age and good health.

[Edslaine]

This was brought to my attention awhile ago when friends asked me to have Molly (their staffy) if anything happened to them and asked if it was okay to put that in their wills. I said yes and when they asked if they could have Edward I said yes to them. I'm really happy about what we've decided as Edward knows them well, spends time with them when I'm away and I trust them with him.

[alpha bet]

This is an interesting topic and something that has been mentioned to me from time to time. We have even considered allocating one of the kennel blocks as a retirement home for dogs in this type of position - younger dogs could perhaps be rehomed but those veterans might be a different story, however this poses a seperate lot of issues altogether.

I've had two different training/boarding regulars who have approached me on different occassions about leaving their dogs for me to be guardian of.

These are single people in their early 40's and have been realistic that it would not be suitable for their parents to be hassled with looking after or rehoming also they have busy work lives and dont have friends who might be interested in taking on some dogs. I suppose because their dogs have been either training or boarding with me over the years they trust me to be able to make decisions on the dog's best interest.

So they have put me down as 'legal' guardians of their individual dogs. They have also allocated some money in their will to allow for immediate and future care and medical as well as having written letters that are kept with the solicitors to give me some guidance.

I suppose this is quite a good idea especially for those without families who can step up - at least then everyone concerned knows what the person really wanted. Perhaps we have a solicitor on dogzonline who might be able to put a legal twist to this.

[Parkeyre]

I'm only 21 and don't have a legal will.

My partner and I own our home and have no children.

Should really get onto that.

[Trisven13]

Yep.

I should clarify that is not what is happening to MINE - only what happens if you don't plan it . What happens to my dogs depends on whether OH & I both die at the same time or separately. Our families have all been told multiple times so that they remember. One of my dogs will be pts though as he has a high prey drive and I'm not comfortable with the idea that someone who would be less careful with him would own him.

This was brought to my attention awhile ago when friends asked me to have Molly (their staffy) if anything happened to them and asked if it was okay to put that in their wills. I said yes and when they asked if they could have Edward I said yes to them. I'm really happy about what we've decided as Edward knows them well, spends time with them when I'm away and I trust them with him.

Lordy you want to hope that they don't die

[♪♫LMBC♫♪]

Mine is co-owned so I would imagine he will probably go back to his breeder and she can make the decisions from there.

What's really important to me is that he doesn't end up with my sister. She is the kind of person who thinks pedigree dogs = breeding and $$$$$

[lovemesideways]

If mum was to pass away, Rover would me mine.

If I was to, Riddick would stay with Mum

If we somehow all (mum, dad and I) weren't able to look after the dogs, then there would be a battle over who got to keep the dogs .

I felt a little bad when my Sister asked "Oh you would give the to me first right?"

Me..."Uh No."

Shes not exactly my ideal owner for Riddick or Rover.

[Sayreovi]

I'm not sure to react to the people saying they made arrangements to put their dogs to sleep after they've died! For me, that sounds like a horrible thing to do, putting them to sleep for no reason like that.. I would hope that even if I did die that my doggy would still continue to live a long and happy life well after I've gone. I'd watch him from heaven and when he goes over the rainbow bridge, I'd be standing on the other side waiting for him

I know this is a sensitive topic but I agree with you, unless my dogs were at deaths door already because of age or disease I can understand the reasoning behind it but to PTS healthy younger dogs is just wrong IMO.

My dogs would stay in the family one way or another, or if none of them were capable I would hope the breeders would take them back, if after all that still no success they would do the whole MDBA Pacers thing as they would both be extremely rehomeable......still gotta look into that though.

[Trisven13]

I'm not sure to react to the people saying they made arrangements to put their dogs to sleep after they've died! For me, that sounds like a horrible thing to do, putting them to sleep for no reason like that.. I would hope that even if I did die that my doggy would still continue to live a long and happy life well after I've gone. I'd watch him from heaven and when he goes over the rainbow bridge, I'd be standing on the other side waiting for him

I know this is a sensitive topic but I agree with you, unless my dogs were at deaths door already because of age or disease I can understand the reasoning behind it but to PTS healthy younger dogs is just wrong IMO.

My dogs would stay in the family one way or another, or if none of them were capable I would hope the breeders would take them back, if after all that still no success they would do the whole MDBA Pacers thing as they would both be extremely rehomeable......still gotta look into that though.

But that is the point. Some of us who have chosen to pts did so because our pets are NOT rehomable in a traditional sense. Bart is a very large greyhound with a very strong prey-drive. As he has matured his prey drive has become stronger - quite dramatically stronger and I don't trust someone else to manage that. I would hate to think that he went to the wrong home and killed someone's dog or cat because he wasn't properly managed. He wouldn't pass the GAP test anymore (though he did at 12 months of age) so they couldn't take him back. All my other dogs would go to family or their breeders if both OH and I died BUT Bart is just not one who can.

Other people have dogs that are seriously dog aggressive.

Maybe my point of view is different from having spent 6 years working in rescue - I understand how genuinely difficult (if not impossible) it is to find homes for dogs like that. Dogs don't understand euthanasia, they don't fear it and I think it is the last kind thing I can do for Bart.

Edited August 29, 2010 by Trisven13

[Staranais]

I'm not sure to react to the people saying they made arrangements to put their dogs to sleep after they've died! For me, that sounds like a horrible thing to do, putting them to sleep for no reason like that.. I would hope that even if I did die that my doggy would still continue to live a long and happy life well after I've gone. I'd watch him from heaven and when he goes over the rainbow bridge, I'd be standing on the other side waiting for him

I know this is a sensitive topic but I agree with you, unless my dogs were at deaths door already because of age or disease I can understand the reasoning behind it but to PTS healthy younger dogs is just wrong IMO.

My dogs would stay in the family one way or another, or if none of them were capable I would hope the breeders would take them back, if after all that still no success they would do the whole MDBA Pacers thing as they would both be extremely rehomeable......still gotta look into that though.

But that is the point. Some of us who have chosen to pts did so because our pets are NOT rehomable in a traditional sense.

Yes, that is a good point. As the owner of a very DA dog previously, I understand that it can sometimes be hard (or impossible) to find a suitable home to take them on after you are gone, and then PTS may be the only fair option to the dog. Better PTS now than bounced around the shelter system only to be PTS later.

But in cases where the dog is healthy & behaviourally sound & otherwise adoptable, I have to say that I agree with Trisven & Tollerowned that I struggle to see why someone else would choose PTS.

[Sayreovi]

I'm not sure to react to the people saying they made arrangements to put their dogs to sleep after they've died! For me, that sounds like a horrible thing to do, putting them to sleep for no reason like that.. I would hope that even if I did die that my doggy would still continue to live a long and happy life well after I've gone. I'd watch him from heaven and when he goes over the rainbow bridge, I'd be standing on the other side waiting for him

I know this is a sensitive topic but I agree with you, unless my dogs were at deaths door already because of age or disease I can understand the reasoning behind it but to PTS healthy younger dogs is just wrong IMO.

My dogs would stay in the family one way or another, or if none of them were capable I would hope the breeders would take them back, if after all that still no success they would do the whole MDBA Pacers thing as they would both be extremely rehomeable......still gotta look into that though.

But that is the point. Some of us who have chosen to pts did so because our pets are NOT rehomable in a traditional sense. Bart is a very large greyhound with a very strong prey-drive. As he has matured his prey drive has become stronger - quite dramatically stronger and I don't trust someone else to manage that. I would hate to think that he went to the wrong home and killed someone's dog or cat because he wasn't properly managed. He wouldn't pass the GAP test anymore (though he did at 12 months of age) so they couldn't take him back. All my other dogs would go to family or their breeders if both OH and I died BUT Bart is just not one who can.

Other people have dogs that are seriously dog aggressive.

Maybe my point of view is different from having spent 6 years working in rescue - I understand how genuinely difficult (if not impossible) it is to find homes for dogs like that. Dogs don't understand euthanasia, they don't fear it and I think it is the last kind thing I can do for Bart.

Yes, maybe I should have added extreme behavioural/mental issues as well, but as people aren't posting whether or not their dog has that serious of an issue that it is required to be PTS, that at the moment all I can see in my head is fairly well adjusted healthy dogs being PTS. So my disagreement is more aimed at others who's dog can be rehomed.

I know you work in rescue so would have a good idea of what is or isn't able to be rehomed.

[Sasha (Alexander)]

Buried alive with me.

:thumbsup:

No not really. Probably just go to my parents.

[Robbi]

I have worked for many years in the funeral industry and was often worried when I did transfers of deceased people from their homes what was happening to animals left in the house, I have at times taken two budgies and a goldfish with me in the transfer van when informed that there was no next of kin as I couldn't bear the thought of them starving to death.

Dogs often come to their owners funerals and are made to feel an important part of proceedings. I remember well a Brittany Spaniel who had behaved impecably the whole service giving a heartwrenching howl as the owners coffin was lowered into the catafaulqe at the commital at the end of the service.

I would never judge anybody who pts a dog that may have an uncertain future, there are many, many things worse than a humane death.