Planning for your pet in your Will

November is “Make a Will” month! Did you know that it is now common practice to include your furry companion in your will? After all, animals are family members we care for, nurture, and love. What happens when we can no longer care for our furry friends? Here are some things to consider when writing your beloved companion into your will.  

Instruct Your Executor 

Regardless of who that person might be, start a conversation about your decision to include your animal to someone in particular in your will. More importantly, if you choose to leave your furry companion with a family member or a friend, have a conversation with them and let them know of your intention. This will avoid any surprises to the individual who will inherit your animal, but it will also give the inheritor time to prepare for their new cuddle bug.  

Rehoming Your Animal Through Adoption 

Sometimes having a friend or family member adopt your beloved paw-tner is not a possibility. One option is to request that your furry family member be adopted through the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. You can instruct your executor to take your companion animal to an animal centre near you and rehome them to a loving charity like the Ontario SPCA. The Ontario SPCA is a for-life organization that strives to find homes for all animals. We have a very successful adoption program that allows us to find loving homes for thousands of animals each year! In fact, in 2021, 3,381 animals adopted into loving homes across the province.  

You can read more about the Ontario SPCA services and our adoption program here. 

Leaving funds to care for your animal  

Another consideration is whether you will leave any funds in your will designated to the care of your animal in their new home. It’s important to ensure that whomever you are leaving your animal to will have the means to care for them. 

What will your legacy be? 

Estate planning is also a time when many people consider what their legacy will be after they’re gone. If animals are an important part of your life, consider leaving a gift in your will to an animal charity like the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society.  

When you remember the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society with a gift in your will, your gift will help ensure that animals continue to find their forever homes and that vulnerable animals receive the shelter and care they deserve. 

Learn more about making a gift to the Ontario SPCA in your will.