Superstorm showed need for estate planning for pets

Can you imagine having me as your mother-in-law? Last weekend my son-in-law, Tony, was my captive audience for a good 45 minutes as he drove me to the airport, all the while nodding and agreeing as I lectured him on having contingency plans in place for my daughter and their menagerie of pets in the event he kicked the bucket. Poor guy. I hope he knows I mean well.

Most people realize they have to have a will to protect their families. But even those who think of their pets as members of the family don't always think to include plans for the pets in their wills. Not everyone has an estate planner talking their ear off on the way to the airport!

I'm attaching a link to a recent article that talks about the impact of natural disasters such as Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina on the lives of pets. Click here to read it. I was appalled by one of the statistics given in this story: that 100,000 pets a year end up at the ASPCA because the owners of the pets have died or become incapacitated and have not made any plans for the pet's care. The number is going to be smaller in Canada, but it's still a lot of homeless animals who are going to end up being put down.

The article contains some good ideas about what you can do to plan for your own Fido or Fluffy.

The photo attached was part of the article mentioned here, found at http://lifeinc.today.com and credited to Gary Hershon/Reuters.