If something happens to you, will anyone know how to care for your pets? Do you have an emergency pet care plan? How can you tell people which vet you use for your dog? Share your cat’s allergies or favorite toys? If you’re sick or incapacitated, the Lawyer Referral and Information Service of the Maine Bar Association has created a simple form that will allow you to leave detailed information about your pets, and change it as frequently as necessary.
Pet care is important, and an emergency pet care plan will make everything easier at what is likely to be a stressful time. You might trust that your friend or family will know what you want, but do they know what to do? This simple Pet Care Planning Document gathers all the information you need in one spot. Print it out, fill it out, and put it someplace obvious, like in a folder attached to the side of your fridge. That way, if you end up in the ER for heat exhaustion, your neighbor will have all the information they need to care for your cat.
There are ways to provide longer term care for your animals by leaving directions in your will. That’s a good idea, but nothing replaces have emergency information immediately at hand to insure your pet’s comfort and well-being. And that gives you one less thing to worry about as well!