If your client is looking for a life care facility for a pet, he or she needs to:
Check with regulatory authorities to make sure no major complaints or actions have been filed against it.
Evaluate how long the facility has been in business.
Get references.
Visit it.
"Be very cautious," Alexander warns. "Almost all pet retirement homes and sanctuaries haven't been around very long. You also want to ask what happens if the retirement home or sanctuary goes out of business."
If you decide on a pet trust for a client, consider the tax consequences. Current federal tax policy considers pet trusts to be void because a beneficiary must be a person, says Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.). Blumenauer has introduced legislation aimed at allowing charitable trusts for pets when the remainder interest passes to a qualified charity.
Beyer says that when setting up a pet-related trust, the client needs to consider these issues:
Name a caretaker-somebody who is going to take good care of the animal. Check with the person ahead of time.
Name a trustee who is financially capable of handling money.