Providing For Your Pet’s Future Without You
We have all had to cope with the sadness and sense of loss when a beloved pet dies but what will happen to your pets if you die first? Nobody knows if or when this might happen, so it makes sense to have a plan in place to ensure they are cared for both immediately afterwards and in the longer term.
If there are good friends close by who can step in to provide care for your animals while a longer-term solution is sorted, this is a great reassurance. But many people have moved from abroad or elsewhere in France and have lived here many years; they may be on their own with no close family or younger friends to provide a permanent home for pets left behind. Very often the animals themselves may be elderly or needing extra care. In these circumstances it is especially important to have a plan in place.
At Les Amis, we find ourselves more and more often being asked to cope with very sad situations where owners have passed away suddenly or where an illness has robbed them of the ability to make choices. Their animals are left bewildered and frightened, with no designated person to take over their care. We have compiled some guidelines to help avoid this situation.
Step 1: Arrange emergency cover.
Nominate a first contact. Arrange for someone to look after your pets in the short- term, a local friend or neighbour who could feed and provide immediate basic care in your home or theirs until your plan can be put in motion. It is a good idea to give your maire and notaire their contact details and state that they have your permission to enter the property to see to the needs of the animals.
Set up emergency contacts. Make sure your emergency contact information on your mobile phone is up to date. To set this up and access the emergency and medical records, go to settings and Emergency section. It is very simple to do and allows the emergency services to access your medical information.
Carry our ‘my animals are home alone’ tab on your key ring. This displays that message in English and French with the telephone number of your initial contact. It is useful in case of accidents and sudden illness as well as a fatality – email us for details at enquiries@lesamisdesanimaux.com.
Step 2: Ensure documentation is up-to-date.
Keep all the animals’ paperwork together. Put I-cad documents, passports, carnets, medical records etc together in one place which is noted on your plan. Leave your vet’s contact details with them.
Keep vaccinations up to date. It may be necessary for your cat or dog to go into a pension for a short time while a solution is sorted. Most pensions insist on vaccinations being current.
Include information on previous carers. The contact information of previously used pensions or house sitters could be useful.
Step 3: Choose a permanent carer for your pets.
If you have family or friends who know your animals and are willing to care for them, then you are lucky! Make sure that they are familiar with their routines and special needs.
If you have no-one available who can care for your animals, then at Les Amis we will always do our best to help find a home for them. If any of your animals are elderly, we will look to place them in lifetime foster so that their vet bills are paid by us.
Step 4: Write a plan and share it.
When you have decided what you would like to happen to your animals if you should die before them, then put this down on paper and make sure anyone who might be involved (neighbours, close friends, family) is aware of your wishes. You can also leave a copy with your maire and notaire.
How can you help Les Amis provide care for your animals?
Although Les Amis always tries to help any animal needing a home, contributions towards the costs involved in rehoming animals whose owner has died are very much appreciated. Pension fees, transport costs and, in particular, continuing care for a rehomed senior all mount up.
You can help by:
- Giving single or monthly donations. Donations, either singly or via regular payments, qualify for a tax rebate of 66% for those in the French tax system up to a limit of 20% of taxed income. They can be made through this website using the red ‘donate’ button or via this link. Tick the box on the form if you need a tax receipt.
- Through Wills. It is also possible to leave money to the association in your Will. People who have reserved heirs (children or a spouse) are still able to leave a proportion of their estate to whoever they please, including a charity. Those with no reserved heirs can leave whatever they wish (including property or goods) to any beneficiary of their choice. Depending on the status of the charity, tax may or may not be payable on the amount received. As a registered association recognised as acting for the protection of animals, we will claim our entitlement to exemption from all taxes when the will is enacted.
Any notaire should be able to incorporate a suitable clause in your Will using the association’s details at the foot of this article. If you have already made a French Will, you may be able to modify it or otherwise make a new revised version. If you have an English or other overseas Will it is still possible to name Les Amis as a beneficiary; relevant legal advice from the country in question would be needed.
- Assurance Vie. Another alternative is to take out an Assurance Vie with the Association as a beneficiary. This is a type of savings/investment account where you can name a person or persons or qualifying organisation(s) to inherit the amount in the account when you die. During your lifetime you can add to the balance or make withdrawals and when you do eventually pass away the sum stands outside your estate and is generally not subject to rules about reserved heirs. However, any money left in this way must not have been set aside to ‘empty’ the estate and so disadvantage the reserved heirs. Payment to beneficiaries is usually much quicker – two or three weeks after a death certificate is presented to the company rather than the several months which it can take to process a Will. Your insurance advisor or bank can explain further and help you select a fund suited to your requirements.
One of the most important things anyone can do for the animals they love is to put plans in place to ensure continuity of care should it be necessary. Their life may extend beyond yours but with forethought you can make sure that although you are no longer with them, they have the best life possible.
We are grateful to Adrien Pech for his help in ensuring this article is legally correct.
Adrien is an Avocat at theToulouse Bar with a special interest in animal welfare.
