Have you considered what would happen to your animals if you were suddenly hospitalized due to the coronavirus (or for any reason, really)? What if you died suddenly?
Not a topic any of us want to think about, but one which we must consider.
In New York City, they have a special team that feeds animals abandoned by owners in the hospital, and takes in the animals who have been orphaned by the virus. But most of us don’t live in cities large enough to have this kind of service.
If you have pets, it’s your responsibility to make sure they are taken care of if something happens to you. You might want to work out a system with your neighbors where if you are going to the hospital, you leave a red sticky note in your window. When you’re home and fine, a green note should be stuck up. Because this is a respiratory virus, you can’t count on being able to talk on the phone when you need help.
If, God forbid, you should die, it would be helpful if you had something in your will to indicate what should happen to your pets. Set aside a small bank account to pay for the animals’ expenses, and name someone to whom the account will be payable on death so the money doesn’t have to go through probate. (Please note I am neither a lawyer or an accountant.) Name a person who will take over your animals’ care so they don’t end up in a shelter. Make sure there is a mechanism for them to be contacted if they aren’t someone who would immediately hear about your passing.
Hopefully, we will all stay safe, but we can’t bet our animals’ lives on hope.
#StayHomeStaySafe #WearAMask
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!