What is a Pet Retirement Home?
A pet retirement home provides lifetime care to domestic animals that have outlived their human caretakers. A pet retirement home may also provide long-term boarding to dogs or cats when their owner is ill or incapacitated for an extended period of time. Some pet retirement homes care for animals that have serious medical conditions, are of advanced age, or are not adoptable for other reasons. Animals placed in a pet retirement home are not adopted out but remain at the home for the duration of their lives. The policies of pet retirement homes vary by organization.
Advantages of a Pet Retirement Home
The primary advantage of a pet retirement home is it provides the security of knowing your pet will be cared for if you cannot be there. If you don’t have anyone you can rely on to care for your animals after you’re gone, a pet retirement home is a better option than an animal shelter or the pound. Pet retirement homes are equipped to care for senior pets and animals in poor health. A pet retirement home is a better alternative than an animal shelter where your pet is likely to be euthanized if not adopted within a few days.
While you may assume your pet will be adopted, in fact, a large majority of dogs and cats that enter animal shelters are euthanized almost immediately after being brought to the shelter. Even puppies and kittens are euthanized in shelters if they come in at a time when the shelter is full or there are too many others up for adoption. If you make arrangements with a pet retirement home as part of your estate plan, your pet will have a secure home for the rest of his or her life.
Disadvantages of a Pet Retirement Home
An animal that is confined to a pet retirement home for the remainder of his or her life is unlikely to experience the type of bonding and family interaction a pet would enjoy if adopted into a new home. Depending on the number of caregivers at the pet retirement home, your pet may not receive the individual attention, walks or time outdoors he or she would receive in a private home. Some pet retirement homes keep animals in cages, which may not provide a good quality of life for your pet.
If you have the option of having your pet cared for by a close friend or relative you trust, leaving your animal friend in the care of a pet retirement home may be a less desirable option. The fees charged by a pet retirement may be slightly more expensive than reaching a written agreement with a family member or friend to care for your pet. There is no guarantee the pet retirement home will remain in business throughout your pet’s life. If your pet does not get along with other animals or has significant behavioral issues, a pet retirement home may not be an option.
How to Find a Pet Retirement Home
While the number of pet retirement homes is expected to grow in the future, there are currently a limited number of pet retirement homes in the U.S. To find a pet retirement home, start with an online search. Nonprofit animal charities such as the ASPCA and the Humane Society are usually good resources. Contact your veterinarian or representatives of your local animal shelter for information about pet retirement homes in your area.
Some pet retirement homes only accept cats or dogs. If you have a bird, horse, rabbit, reptile, pig or other type of animal as a pet, you will probably need to use other estate planning methods. There are charitable organizations that specialize in providing homes for many different types of animals. For a list of nonprofit organizations that provide homes for unwanted cats and dogs, visit our Animal Charities page. While it will take some effort on your part to make arrangements for your pets in your estate plan, it is worth it to know they will not be euthanized or homeless after your death. To see what could happen to your pets if you fail to plan for their care, watch the video on our Unwanted Pets page.
Alternatives to Pet Retirement Homes
If you can find a person who will agree to care for your pets in the event of your incapacity or death, you can appoint that person as their caregiver or guardian in a pet trust. If you want your pets to have a chance to be adopted by a new family, include enforceable provisions in your estate planning documents to leave your pets to a no kill animal shelter, sanctuary or rescue league that has agreed to take them. When arranging continuing care for animals as part of your estate plan, the most important steps are to make arrangements with a pet caregiver or guardian in advance and to fund the expenses of caring your pet through a pet trust, life insurance, a bank account, or another method suggested by your estate planning attorney.
How Much Does a Pet Retirement Home Cost?
The price charged by a pet retirement home is based on several factors. The type of animal, age, weight, health condition, and grooming requirements are all considerations in the price of lifetime care for your pet. In addition, the location of the pet retirement home will affect the cost.
Contact several pet retirement homes about the fees. Then you can determine whether you need to purchase life insurance or make other financial arrangements to pay the cost of permanent boarding for your pet as part of your estate plan. For more information on providing for your pets as part of your estate plan, see our free Pet Owners Estate Planning Guide.
