Appointing Someone to Look After Your Pet

Think realistically about who in your life would actually be able to take on your pet, rather than who you would simply like to. Relevant factors include whether they already have pets of their own, whether their home and lifestyle suit the animal, their age and health, and whether they have expressed genuine willingness rather than a polite assumption that it would never actually happen.

It is entirely acceptable to choose someone outside your immediate family if they are better placed to give your pet a good home. What matters is a realistic, honest conversation with the person concerned, not simply defaulting to the most obvious family member.

Never name someone as your pet's carer without asking them directly. Circumstances that seem fine now, such as a person's housing situation, work pattern or health, can change, and a carer who is willing today might not be able to commit in future, so check in from time to time if your will is in place for many years.

Naming a reserve carer, in the same way you might name a backup executor or guardian for children, avoids leaving your executors to make an ad hoc decision if your first choice cannot act when the time comes.

There is often a gap of hours or days between a death and anyone locating the will or contacting the named carer, during which a pet may be left without anyone responsible for it, particularly if the owner lived alone. This is a genuinely common practical problem and worth planning for separately from the will itself.

Simple, low-cost steps include giving a spare key and basic instructions to a trusted neighbour or nearby friend, carrying a card in your wallet noting that you have a pet at home and who to contact, or registering with a scheme that some areas run for exactly this purpose. None of this replaces the longer-term plan in your will, but it closes the gap before that plan can take effect.

Once a carer is in place for the long term, make their life easier by keeping key information up to date and accessible: your vet's details, any ongoing medical needs, insurance policy information, and your pet's routine and habits. This is best kept in a letter of wishes rather than the will, since it is likely to need updating more often than the will itself.

Tell your executors and your named carer where this information is kept, so there is no delay in locating it when it is needed most.

Most pet owners can put a complete, workable plan in place through a will, a letter of wishes and a sensible conversation with the people involved, without needing anything more formal. This can be arranged easily through an online will service alongside the rest of your estate planning.

If your pet has a high value, complex ongoing medical needs, or you are relying on a formal trust structure rather than an informal arrangement with a named carer, take advice from a solicitor to make sure everything is properly drafted.