DARE Pet Promise
DARE Pet Promise
Who will care for your pet if you can’t?
Together, protecting the pets we love.
Make your Pet Promise. A little planning today means your pet gets the care you want, whether you’re away for a week or no longer here.
Your pet is family. Plan like it.
Your pet is your best friend. But if something happens to you, your family will be coping with the loss too, including your pet. Your pet may feel confused, since you aren’t around and the normal routine is gone.
Without a plan, no one may know who should step in, where the food and medications are kept, or how to pay for care.
A Pet Promise makes that moment easier: less stress, fewer surprise costs and a soft landing for your pet and the people you love.
Three steps to your Pet Promise
Take them one at a time. Tap a step to jump to the details.
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Step 1
Pull it all together
Gather information about you, your emergency contacts, your veterinarian and, most importantly, your pet.
See step 1 ↓ -
Step 2
Plan for the short term
Choose emergency pet sitters who can step in right away if you’re suddenly unavailable.
See step 2 ↓ -
Step 3
Plan for the long term
Learn about wills, trusts and agreements, and decide what is appropriate in your situation.
See step 3 ↓
Pull it all together
Everything about your pet, in one place
The free Pet Promise Kit walks you through it. Print it and fill it out by hand, or complete it on your computer.
What’s inside
- You and your human friends. Emergency contacts, alternates, who can get into your home, your vet, the nearest 24-hour emergency clinic, your boarding kennel and groomer.
- Who is this all about anyway? Your pet! Names, microchip and license numbers, registrations, vaccination records, medications and special needs.
- Ahh, the personal details. Food and feeding routine, treats, sleeping and potty habits, collars and leashes, personality, quirks, the commands your pet knows, and what they love most (tummy rubs, anyone? Well, who doesn’t love those!).
Then make sure someone can find it
Your plan is no good unless someone can get to it if you are incapacitated or are no longer here to care for your pet. Your estate planner can recommend options for how others can access it quickly if needed.
Plan for the short term
If you’re suddenly away, who steps in tonight?
An accident or hospital stay can happen without warning. Name your emergency pet sitters now, listed in order of preference by proximity, familiarity and trust, and talk through the details with them ahead of time:
- Will your pet stay in their own home or at the sitter’s?
- Will the sitter stay at your house?
- Can they make arrangements with your preferred boarder?
Then carry an emergency pet plan card in your wallet, so first responders and family know a pet is waiting at home and who to call.
Plan for the long term
Wills, trusts and agreements: which keeps your promise?
If you can no longer care for your pet, you’ll want someone you trust, who has agreed to adopt them, ready to take over. Here’s how the three options compare.
Informal Agreement
- How it works
- An understanding with the person who will take your pet.
- Advantage
- The simplest option of all.
- Drawback
- Does not cover all of the care details and does not address the money aspect of pet care.
Will
- How it works
- You can’t leave anything to your pet directly, but you can leave property to the person who assumes responsibility for their care.
- Advantage
- The simplest and most inexpensive document to provide for your pet.
- Drawback
- Wills must go through probate, which can take weeks or even months and costs money. Where is your pet all that time? And money left for your pet’s care isn’t enforceable.
Pet Trust
- How it works
- A legal document that states who is the new caregiver so they can immediately start to care for your pet.
- Advantage
- Money is immediately available, with no probate court delays, and is distributed as you define.
- Drawback
- It requires legal documents to be generated.
Bottom line: A will is better than nothing. But out of kindness to your pet, their care is best left to a Pet Trust.
Peace of mind, ready the moment it’s needed
A Revocable Pet Trust provides assets that are immediately available to protect your pet when something happens to you. Your pet’s new family gets the funds for their care right away, along with the things your pet identifies with: their toys, beds, food and medicine.
Who’s who in a Pet Trust
| Role | Who | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | You | Can change or revoke the trust for as long as you live. |
| Initial Trustee | You | Manages the trust while you’re alive. |
| Successor Trustee | Someone you choose | Provides the money according to your instructions and makes sure the caregiver is doing their job. It’s wise to keep this role independent from the caregiver. |
| Caregiver(s) | Your pet’s new owner | Gives your pet daily care. Name backup caregivers in case your first choice isn’t available. |
| Beneficiaries | You, then your pet | You while you’re living, and your pet after you’re gone. |
Already have a revocable trust for your other assets, like bank accounts or your house? Can you simply add provisions for your pet? If you have a revocable trust, adding your pet requires a detailed amendment to your existing revocable trust. This is not the most efficient and cost-effective option.
Utilizing an estate planner will assure that your wishes for your beloved pet will be executed by a legal document so the personal important aspects of their future care are properly carried out.
Make your Pet Promise today
You’ve made plans for your home, your money and your people. Your pet belongs on that list too. Start with the free kit, then talk with an estate planner about the right plan for your situation.
Got a soft spot for dachshunds?
DARE is the rescue behind the Pet Promise. We’re a 100% volunteer-run, foster-based rescue saving dachshunds, one wiggly butt at a time. Here’s how you can help: