Is there such a thing as sponsored or legacy rescue dogs?

[MadWoofter]

My parents would love another dog in their life (the last one died a few years ago now), but while they are physically & mentally able to look after a dog, they can't afford expensive vet bills and so won't get one.

 

I was wondering if there are any rescue groups that have "legacy dogs" or similar.  Something like where someone leaves money in their will for the continued care of their pet.

 

I think that would suit them perfectly - the parentals get a dog, the dog gets a wonderful home, and my parents don't have to stress about potential vet bills (they can cope with food & stuff).

 

Any ideas? 

 

[_PL_]

AWL runs a legit legacy program.  I could be thinking of just cats though. You usually have to live within 80 minutes of the Kemps Creek shelter for vet care needs to be taken care of. 

 

[_PL_]

https://www.awlnsw.com.au/remember-your-pet/

 

[Pucapo]

Pet insurance is there for this reason. I believe it is about $30 a month. Very affordable.

[Pjrt]

Would a shared arrangement suit them? Offer themselves as a ‘doggy day care’ for one specific dog/family. They get the dog many days while owners have work commitments and at other times for o/night and holiday care, type of arrangement. 
they’d probably have no trouble finding someone agreeable to such a situation 

[jemappelle]

How about fostering for a group and offering to permanently foster a dog that can't be rehomed due to health issues - they may need to be up for end of life decisions sooner, rather than later.  A few Sydney groups do this, where are your parents located?

[_PL_]

1 hour ago, jemappelle said:

How about fostering for a group and offering to permanently foster a dog that can't be rehomed due to health issues - they may need to be up for end of life decisions sooner, rather than later.  A few Sydney groups do this, where are your parents located?

 

In the normal setup in rescue it's often the end of life palliative dogs who are needing that quality time but it's not long. (Like we do) And it's not an easy thing to go through, having been through it many times I feel it's not something I would pass on to unsuspecting carers.

 

The reason I suggest AWL is because rescues can and do fold, or have cash flow issues, leaving carers alone to deal with costs themselves. I'd like to see your parents have more than a few months of high care and vet trips. As rewarding as it can be it's always gutting when you lose one. 

[Dogsfevr]

Maybe they could volunteer for poops 

[_PL_]

Yes!

Ooooh or Paws and Recover! It's temp care but they always need homes for emergencies short or long term. 

[MadWoofter]

Thanks for all the feedback, I'll have a look at those & pass them on.

@Pucapo unfortunately it's not just as simple as having pet insurance.  As snook has said, so many items aren't included, prices are jacked up with age, and the premiums are not something they can afford, but thanks for the suggestion