The most important step in planning for your pet’s care without you is selecting potential caregivers. Caregivers can be people or organizations. They have to be both willing and able. I have four dogs; friends and pet sitters would be fine in the short term but not for long term. Preparing this article has made me think about long-term caregivers for my pets. The following steps are your guide for the process of selecting caregivers.

Identify temporary and long-term caregivers. Temporary caregivers need to be available immediately to take over care of your pet in case of an emergency. You need a primary and a backup. You also need to identify permanent caregivers that will care for your pet for the rest of their life.

Identifying the right individuals to provide care is critical. You should decide whether you want all your pets to be cared for by one person, or if different people should care for different pets. A family member may volunteer but not be the best choice, even though they are willing. They may have small children when your pet is used to peace and quiet.

It’s important to consider alternate caregivers in case your primary choice is unavailable or unwilling at the needed time to take care of your pets. Your pet could even outlive the first caregiver. Consider people who know your pets and have successfully cared for pets themselves. It is essential that you choose potential caregivers that you trust.

Introduce the potential caregiver to your pet and allow them to spend a reasonable time together. The potential caregivers should pet sit for a few days while you are on vacation. Make sure the caregivers understand their responsibilities and are willing to provide care for your pets. Then talk to the caregivers to see how things went. This trial run is a good way to see if you forgot to provide essential information.

Decide and discuss with the potential caregiver to what extent and how there will be reimbursement for expenses and compensation. At a minimum the temporary caregivers should be reimbursed for expenses. A discussion of compensation is important when the care will be for the rest of the pet’s life. The amount paid should be appropriate for the level of care. An exotic pet may have special requirements. An agent under a power of attorney or the trustee of a trust can handle payment for temporary care. Make sure special language is in the legal documents to permit pet care payment.

Take the necessary steps to make your pet, any information, and important documents accessible to the potential caregiver. You will need to give the caregivers the ability to have immediate access to your home. They will also need to know where your pet’s care information is located and how to get in touch with the agent under your power of attorney or trustee of your trust.

Ask whether the potential caregiver is willing to serve. Choose your words carefully so the potential caregiver does not feel obligated to agree. You want for the caregivers to be completely willing.

Keep your potential caregiver information current. Stay in touch with your designated caregivers and alternates. Their circumstances can change and the level of care that your pet needs can also change.

Now that I know I need to decide on long-term caregivers for my pet, the thought is just going to be in the back of my mind until I do it. A responsible loving pet owner won’t leave a pet’s future to chance.

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