Who Gets the Dog?

Buddy knew something was wrong. For the past two days, people had been coming in and out of the house at strange hours. They sat at the kitchen table talking quietly. They carried boxes out to their cars. Sometimes they cried.

Buddy handled all of this the way any self-respecting Labrador would. He stayed close, accepted every available scratch behind the ears, and remained cautiously optimistic that one of those boxes contained treats.

Then someone finally asked the question. “What’s going to happen to Buddy?”

That’s when the eighty-pound dog sleeping under the kitchen table became part of the conversation about settling the estate.

Pets occupy an interesting place when someone dies because families rarely think about them the same way they think about other property.

Nobody looks at the family dog and sees an asset that needs to be dealt with. They see the dog that slept beside Dad’s chair every night for eleven years.

But Buddy still needs somewhere to live.

He needs food, veterinary care, medication, exercise, and someone willing to become his person. If the owner had several animals, an elderly pet with medical needs, a horse, a parrot that could potentially live for decades, or an animal that isn’t particularly easy to rehome, the situation can become much more complicated.

Sometimes the answer is wonderfully simple. A daughter already loves the dog and takes him home. A neighbor who has known the cat for years offers to keep her. A family member who regularly cared for the animals steps in without hesitation.

Other times, everyone loves Buddy very much as long as Buddy lives at somebody else’s house.

One sibling lives in an apartment that doesn’t allow large dogs. Another already has two dogs, and neither of them is interested in a new roommate. Someone travels constantly for work. Someone else has a child with allergies. The family may genuinely care about the animal and still have no obvious place for it to go.

There can also be expenses that don’t stop while everyone figures it out. Animals still need to eat. Horses still need boarding. Veterinary appointments don’t disappear. Medications may need to be refilled. Grooming, training, pet sitting, and other expenses can continue while longer-term arrangements are being made.

Then there is the information nobody thinks to look for until they need it. Which veterinarian did Mom use? Is the dog taking medication? Where are the vaccination records? Is the cat microchipped? Who normally boards the animals? Does anyone know the horse’s feeding schedule?

A pet can’t explain any of this, which can turn the first few days into a surprisingly complicated scavenger hunt.

For attorneys and paralegals, pets are another example of the very human details that show up alongside the legal work of probate.

A client may walk into the office worried about the house, bank accounts, court filings, and everything else that comes with administering an estate. Meanwhile, there’s a twelve-year-old beagle sitting at home who also needs a plan. It’s easy to understand why something like that gets overlooked.

Most people don’t expect to become an executor next Tuesday. They certainly don’t expect to become an executor and a temporary dog foster on the same afternoon.

Fortunately, many families find good solutions. Relatives step forward. Friends help. Veterinarians may be able to provide information about an animal’s care, and rescue organizations or breed-specific groups may become valuable resources when a family truly can’t provide a home.

The important thing is recognizing the issue early enough to give everyone time to make a thoughtful decision.

Because while a house can wait a few days to be cleaned out and a dining room table doesn’t particularly care where it ends up, Buddy definitely does.

Probate comes with plenty of responsibilities nobody sees coming. At Probate Bond Pros, we believe the bond shouldn’t be one of the things keeping you or your client awake at night.

We work to make obtaining a probate bond quick and uncomplicated, with responsive service and a two-hour guarantee designed to help you keep the estate moving forward.

If you’ve got a probate bond that needs attention, click HERE or call 727-748-2886 We’ll take care of our part, so you can get back to helping your client figure out everything else—including who gets Buddy.

To your success,

Darren Vermost
The Bond Guy®