Rescue Journal

do you know????

Carol · Nov. 15, 2011

how many requests i get to be someone's final animal guardian if their human happens to die?

it has started to get scary when i add up the ones i have said yes to..especially the ones with multiple pets. and i am pretty sure i could fill up a whole new shelter with just those one day when X may be dead..we will need a whole new shelter just for orphaned pets.

and here is the really scary thing...folks don't even need my permission...anyone can leave anything to anyone in their will....so there might be a whole other crap load of possibles that i don't even know about.

AND here is the other thing...my plans have changed..i plan tp be dead before everyone else!

the last time i looked into it, which was like 8 years ago...in order to leave someones furry family members to best friends animal sanctuary for guardianship in their will..you also had to leave about $40,000.00 per pet.
$40,000.00ÉÉÉÉ (shit! lost the god damn question mark again!...use your imaginations... ÉÉÉÉ is now the end of a question!)
anyway..isn`t that freaking well nutzÉÉÉÉÉ

not really. not when you consider what it actually costs to care for the rest of a life cuz you have to have somewhere to put them...you have to have someone to care for them.... you have to be able to feed and vet them......it is not just food and vet bills for like a thousand bucks a year. it is chipping in to keep the whole shibang running...housing which has to be built to house these orphaned pets...staff to care for these now orphaned pets...utilities to heat and light the world of these now orphaned pets...taxes, liability insurences....the list is endless.
what if the animal is like 7 yr benny who i just adopted..he could potentially live for another 10 years ( al is 17 so why can`t benny one day be 17 tooÉÉÉ)...any way... 150 pound middle aged dog who just totally blew out his knee and the other knee is not far behind..if i send him to Canwest for the Sx..i am looking at a grand total of about $10,000.00...paid out in one shot.

so lets say it costs about $2500.00 a year with basic vet,food, staffing, housing et el per year...and benny lives 10 years..that`s $25,000.00 plus the 10 grand for his specialized Sx so right there this wonderful dog will (not could...but will) cost someone 35 grand over the years. so their 40 grand orphaned fee is not far off the mark...could potentially be more...could potentially be less...

but bottom lineÉ... they don`t know and they can`t even guess with the amount of final guardianship requests they get (which i bet are into the thousands each year!)...if they take on everyone in the worlds animals they have to be able to afford to not only care for them all but they probably have to periodically build them more areas to live in too.

if all of the caregivers i have agreed to be animal guardians for..suddenly all die together...i am up shit creek without a paddle cuz i don`t have anywhere to put them all. and i don`t have a few hundred grand to build a new building, hire more staff, heat it and light it and stock it with food.
i am scraping this week, just to buy cool calories for the barn and another couple of bags of dairy food.
and trust me..the 1 or 2 or 5 grand that comes with the animal in the will is not going to build them a nice, well stocked, well staffed place to live and pay all of their expenses for the next 10 years or however long they actually live.

so...am i now going to insist that each animal comes with a $40,000.00 nest eggÉÉÉ no i am not, because i simply cannot attach a price tag to helping an orphaned animal.

but what i am going to do is to tell folks to scrape up their nickles and dimes, let family members know there will be no money to them in the will and leave their animals and the 40 grand that they scrape together to best friends who will be around in 10 or 20 years, and will care for their animal well.

Comments

Sharon

I saw this nice letter on Craigslist.

To my beautiful dog,

I promise to protect you in every way I know how; I will make sure cords are tucked away so you don't get hurt, hair clips are picked up so you don't choke, and the gate is closed so you don't escape.

I promise to never abandon you; If I need to move, you will come with me. If it's hard to find a place that will accept you, I will search every minute of the day. If I cannot find a place, I will move further out, to a less desirable place, or back home with my parents temporarily. It doesn't matter, as long as I can keep you with me.

If I develop allergies (which I have) I will get allergy injections diligently, (which I do) because god knows it is worth every snuggle session.

If my boyfriend doesn't like you, I will dump him (because he's clearly an idiot)

If you chew all of my things (which you did) I will train you to know what's yours (which I have)

And if I am rendered completely incapable of caring for you, I will make sure well in advance that you have the tools to be highly adoptable. I will never sell you.

You're my best friend, and I know you're world revolves around me. The least I can do is keep you in mine.

lynne

if carol is interested she could blog it and i could find out where you live to see if it is feasable to come and get it. nice offer.

Larraine

I have often thought of asking you if you would take my two dogs if both my daughter and I die before them. I couldn't stand to see them split as they love each other 7 yr & 10 years. Anyway thanks for the info that I don't have to ask I just have to put it in my Will. lol None of my other family members would take my girls. Anyway just to ease your conscious I would also leave you my house so you would have plenty of money to take care of them and build a new building. After selling the house that is. Guess I better get that new Will drawn up. lol

jan

Are there any volunteers able to p/u a commercial grade dryer in good working order IF Carol would be interested? It is free.

Lisa K

I'm surprised to hear that many families would not take in a loved one's pet. It seems so cold. My family would easily take in each others' pets if needed and couldn't imagine stranding a beloved animal, er another family member. Then again we all have pets ourselves.

lynne

there should also be more people like you linda it would make for a lot less heartbreak.

Linda

Several years ago a neighbour of mine died and left his 11 year old dog. His family from back east came and took all of value except left Doggie (yes, that was her name). I took her in with plans to find her a home. Many people said to call SAINTS and you would take her. Well, I never did and she became mine. I failed Foster 101. She only lived 2 years but she was very happy to find a home and I loved her to bits. The point is, when you become a sucessful rescuer of old dogs like you and SAINTS are, it's a bit of a catch 22. People know your reputation and then refer others to you. You become busier while you try desparately to find good homes for them all. I'm so glad I kept Doggie and wished more people would give the senior dogs a try.

Carol Ann

I'm lucky I have a good daughter who I know will look after them all.

janet

Oh Carol - again you hit it right on - so many people don't realize what they are asking of you - I have dogs - and I hope to have them until I die - but I also expect to help out any rescue who takes them in -so in my Will I have stipulated if the Rescue will take my dogs - they will get my money crap - don't think there is $40,000 a dog yet - guess I cannot die for a long time! - and my children know I will haunt them if they dare contest the Will.

Carol

you have no idea how many times that happens. i know...cuz we often get the penniless bequeathed beloved pet while the family splits up the cash!

whatever..if the dead folks are looking down and see what happens..i bet they tell god!

Bunny Horne

Super interesting. I've left my cat, Sassy, to Brent should I bite the dust. She loves Brent more than me any way, so it's an easy fit - I hope...

But even if they leave money for the beloved pet, there's no guarantees - in 1990 I worked with one of Canada's top criminal lawyers of the time and when he became gravely ill he willed his beloved poople, Pepe, to an associate in his firm, along with $100K. Day after the will was probated and the bucks transferred to the associate's care Pepe's life was terminated. Pepe was a senior poodle with the usual issues and the associate didn't want to be bothered tending to a senior animal - but apparently didn't have a problem minding Pepe's money. Just sayin'.....