Posted: 14 Nov 2010 12:00 AM PST

SACRAMENTO -- Buzz and Hilda love to ramble around their Elk Grove home, taking naps or chasing after their chew toys by day, curling up in the family room recliner at night.

Nancy King, their devoted owner, doesn't want that routine to change much once she's gone. So King, a librarian for the California Energy Commission, set up a pet trust, which spells out exactly how and where her dachshund duo will be cared for, if they outlive her.

King, 67, wanted to ensure that her pets have "as little disruption as possible" once she can no longer care for them.

With an estimated 71.4 million U.S. households home to at least one bird, fish, reptile, cat, dog or bunny, pets are definitely our beloved companions in life. But what happens to them after we're gone?

Some wind up in animal shelters. Some are euthanized. Others are farmed out to willing family or friends.

But to ensure there's no uncertainty, it appears more Americans are specifying exactly what happens to Fido and Fluffy when they're gone. That arrangement can be as casual as a friendly agreement with a grown child, a sibling or friend, or as concrete as a legally drafted trust.

"It's definitely a trend, and it's caught on because people understandably value their animals and want to make sure their pets are looked after," said Mary Randolph, publisher of Berkeley-based Nolo and author of "Every Dog's Legal Guide: A Must-Have Book for Your Owner."

How to

prepare for your pets' lives after you're gone? Here are some choices:

The easy route: The simplest and least costly way is an informal arrangement, asking a trusted friend, neighbor or family member to assume care of your pet should something happen to you.
"Make sure the person is willing and able to take your animal, both financially and (life) circumstances," said Nolo's Randolph.

And since the average dog or cat costs an estimated $1,000 a year in food and vet bills, it's a good idea to provide some financial help, ideally in either a will or a trust. (For more of Randolph's tips, look under "Pet Law" at nolo.com.)

For those who don't have a pet caretaker, many animal shelters and organizations such as the SPCA have "guardian care" programs.

"Some people simply ask that we find a good, permanent adoptive home for their animal after they're gone," said Steve Potter, development director for the Sacramento SPCA. "Some are more specific, like Fluffy doesn't go to a home with children or to a home with other pets."
Pet trusts: If you want more assurance and supervision over Fluffy's long-term care, consider a pet trust, which names a trustee to ensure your wishes are carried out.
Sacramento estate planning attorney Mark Drobny has done more than 100 pet trusts over the years, including:

The Wilton couple with no kids and seven mules, whose trust names a caretaker to live on their ranch for the mules' natural lives, which can be 40 years or more. Or the reptile lover, who arrived for an attorney visit with a snake draped around her neck and two more in a carrying case. (Her pet trust places a caretaker in her home until the reptiles' demise; the remaining estate will be donated toward an SPCA adoption center for turtles, iguanas and other reptiles.)

A pet trust can cost from $750 to $2,500, depending on whether it's part of a new living trust or added to an existing estate plan.
Other options: More elaborate choices are available. The TLC for Pets Program at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, for instance, allows dog and cat owners to provide for their pet's lifetime care, including an adoptive home and veterinary care, including surgeries.
That TLC is not cheap. For dogs, the tax-deductible UCD gift is $50,000; for cats, it's $30,000. There's also a $1,500 enrollment fee that covers an initial in-home visit to meet the pet, assess its health and home environment. (The program, launched in 2006, included horses, but equines were dropped due to cost issues.)

Regardless of what route you take, having a pet-care plan eliminates any lingering worries about what will happen once you're gone.

"After I signed the paperwork, I just had so much peace of mind, knowing my guys will be well cared for," said Elk Grove's King, while her short-legged companions jostled for room on her lap. Or as she joked, "If Leona Helmsley could do it, why not me, too?"

King's trust stipulates her pets will be adopted by a volunteer chosen by the Sacramento SPCA. It specifies organic food and teeth cleaning every eight weeks for both dogs. King, who is setting aside about $150 a month to cover the dogs' food and vet bills, also gave the SPCA her recipe for home-cooked organic pet food.

by the numbers

From lizards to Labradors, pets prevail in American homes. Here are some recent stats:
--62 percent: U.S. households that own a pet (71.4 million homes)
--39 percent: Households with at least one dog
--33 percent: Households with at least one cat
Types of U.S. pets:
--Birds: 15 million
--Cats: 93.6 million
--Dogs: 77.5 million
--Equines: 13.3 million
--Fish: 183 million
--Reptiles: 13.6 million
--Small animals: 16 million
Source: American Pet Products Association, 2009-10 survey of U.S. pet owners

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

Organization trains pets to aid those with disabilities - KABC

Posted: 13 Nov 2010 08:04 PM PST

November 14, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Twelve years ago, a local not-for-profit organization started a service dog training program.

Now, workers are able to train families' pets in the home to be a companions for members with disabilities.

Pet training in the home takes a little longer and more work, but it's the best environment for both the dog and individual.

Sarah Ruthberger is the coordinator and trainer for Ray Graham Association's Morris Service Dog Program.

"We have some people who come to us with a dog that they already have, and they want to get it assessed to see if it's a good dog for the program, and then we decide whether or not it's trainable," said Ruthberger.

"Sometimes, we help people find a dog that would work for their family, and every now and then, we help people find a breeder for a pure breed dog that they obtain as a puppy and train from that," she said.

Ruthberger is working with the Schenk family's dog, Suki. She is a 3-year-old yellow lab.

The Schenks got the dog for their 6-year-old daughter, Sara.

"My daughter was born with Trisomy 16, which is a genetic abnormality. So, she had open heart bypass surgery, cleft palate surgery, G2 surgery, heel cord lengthening surgery. She has a seizure disorder and has a feeding tube placed," said the girl's mother. "She needs support with all her daily living activities and she non-verbal. She does some signing."

The goal for Suki is:

"Carry medical items for her, motivate her in therapy, retrieve items, you know, just be an extra set of hands," the mother said.

Since Sarah Ruthberger started training Suki a few months ago:

"She is able to retrieve objects that have been dropped on the floor and bring them to who you tell her to bring them to," the trainer said.

"She 's able to open doors, by pulling a rope that's attached to the doorknob. She can go up on the table counter and put something there or take it off, and she is able to press the handicapped accessible button on a door on command," said Sarah Ruthberger.

The Morris Service Dog Training Center is located in Burr Ridge. Each dog spends about a year in boot camp. Then, they are in specialized training to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities.

Ruthberger recommends that if you want your family dog to be trained:

"They can start looking online for training advice," she said. "If they really want to work with a program, they should look for a program that will let them work with their own dog at home. The Morris Service Dog Program is obviously one of those."

There is a shortage of service dog training programs in the state of Illinois. For more information, visit www.ray-graham.org.

Get more Disability Issues »

Tags:

disability issues, karen meyer

Pet Points: Lyme disease up among pets here - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Posted: 13 Nov 2010 09:22 PM PST

Dr. Lawrence Gerson V.M.D.

Millie was a 16-month-old spayed Bernese mountain dog who bounded into the veterinary examination room and greeted our staff with her wagging tail and bubbly personality. Her coat was sleek, her eyes were bright and her physical examination was normal.

She tested negative for internal parasites and was at her ideal weight. She was in perfect health -- or so we thought.

Millie was ready to go home when our veterinary technician noted her snap 4DX test was positive for Lyme disease. How was that possible? The owner had done everything recommended to protect her by applying monthly tick protection; in fact, her owner was the veterinarian.

Lyme disease is increasing in Western Pennsylvania. Veterinarians are seeing more ticks on local dogs now than in previous years. Some are deer ticks that are infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete bacterium that causes Lyme disease.

If vets are seeing Lyme in their four-legged patients, then humans are also at risk. There is significant debate about how harmful Lyme disease is in dogs, but the disease is severe in people and precautions need to be taken.

The life cycle of the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) is a complicated two-year process. Larva hatch from eggs laid by the adult and feed on a small host, often a mouse. If the host is infected with Lyme disease the larva will also become infected. After a year, the larva molts to a nymph that again will feed on a host such as a mouse, dog or human. The disease can spread at this point. Nymphs molt to adults and find a variety of hosts to feed on, such as dogs, humans and often deer. Deer do not show any signs of Lyme disease but are often carriers. Birds also can contribute to the spread of ticks and tick-borne diseases. People get a bull's-eye rash from the tick bite, and 80 percent of humans can become ill if infected.

People should contact a physician immediately if an attached tick is found on them. Likewise, pet owners should contact their veterinarian for advice and assistance on how to safely remove embedded ticks from their pets. It is very important that the entire tick be removed.

A great deal of controversy exists surrounding Lyme in the veterinary field. Experts have different opinions regarding the significance of a positive test in a healthy animal, and about the value of vaccinating against Lyme. They all agree that good tick control is fundamental to prevent the harmful bite and the spread of Lyme disease. Professional topical products are available from veterinarians to kill and repel ticks.

Dogs infected with Lyme may show a fever, lameness and joint swelling. Symptoms will resolve within days of starting treatment with an antibiotic. In some areas of the state, particularly eastern Pennsylvania, 80 percent of dogs could test positive. A simple blood test should be performed during a pet's annual visit to check for tick-borne diseases as well as heartworms.

Lyme experts agree that preventing tick bites is the key to preventing Lyme disease. Certain dog breeds, such as beagles, are less likely to become infected when exposed. However Labrador and golden retrievers and Shetland sheepdogs are more at risk. All dogs that test positive should be checked for protein in their urine. Lyme nephritis is a serious complication of the kidney in infected dogs and can lead to kidney failure. Vaccination for Lyme disease is available, but again there is controversy whether it's beneficial. The inoculation can prevent the disease but could pose additional risks, such as vaccine reaction and damaging circulating immune complexes.

Because Millie's infection was detected and treated early she is now free of the disease and will not have to endure the chronic debilitating effects of Lyme disease. Dog owners should discuss the risk factors with their veterinarian to develop a testing and prevention program.

In future articles we will present opinions from the local veterinary community on a wide range of topics.

Dr. Gerson is a veterinarian and founder of the Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic. His column will appear biweekly. The intent of this column is to educate pet owners. Consultation with a veterinarian is necessary to diagnose and treat individual pets. If you have a question you'd like addressed in Pet Points, e-mail petpoints@post-gazette.com. Please include your name and municipality or neighborhood.

First published on November 13, 2010 at 12:00 am

Pets Zone

Sunday, November 14, 2010

“Legal trusts can ensure devoted pets' comfort - San Jose Mercury News” plus 2 more

“Legal trusts can ensure devoted pets' comfort - San Jose Mercury News” plus 2 more

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts