As difficult as it may be to hear, there’s a chance your pet might outlive you. If you’ve never considered this, you might find yourself wondering what happens to pets when their owners die? The sad truth is that thousands of pets are placed in animal shelters every year when their owner passes away. It is estimated that the exact number is between
100,000 and 500,000 animals per year. Of those, roughly 60 percent end up being euthanized when an adequate home cannot be found.
It’s a difficult situation to say the least, and one that can be easily avoided.
For many people, a pet is more than an animal, they are a part of the family. Estate planning for pets is becoming more and more common as people learn the facts about dying and leaving a pet behind. Studies have shown that up to 27% of pet owners are now including mention of their pets in their will. Although that represents only a small fraction of pet owners, many others simply have preplanned arrangements for pet care after an owner’s death.