What to do with Pets when the Owner Dies
When someone dies, their pets are often left alone and confused. This can be a difficult time for the pet, in addition to all the people who knew and loved the owner. Dogs, cats and other pets may not understand what has happened, and they may become anxious. It is important to take care of pets after someone dies and to make sure they get the help they need during this difficult time. Here's how to help pets after someone dies, and what steps you need to take to ensure their well-being.
How to help a grieving dog or pet
Before you get started with arrangements, you may need to comfort the animal in question. Do dogs understand death? Dogs and other animals have been known to grieve a loss, similar to humans. You may see certain signs of grief in a pet following a loss, including:
- Loss of energy or appetite
- Depression and lethargy
- Increase in accidents in the home
- Clinginess or separation anxiety
- New vocalizations such as whimpering, increased whining, howling
- Restless energy or wakefulness
If the dog in question is experiencing these symptoms, it's likely a result of grief. You can help a grieving dog (and any pet) by increasing activity, attention, and comfort for them. Here are some ways you can help a grieving pet:
- Look after their physical needs. While lethargy and loss of appetite is expected in a grieving pet, it shouldn't go on for too long. You'll need to make sure they're still getting food and especially water. You may need to mix up their diet or add in some high-value foods that will encourage them to eat more (such as fresh chicken, beef, eggs).
- If the pet is good with other animals, consider having their favorite playmate over for a playdate or take them to a dog park for socialization.
- Add more physical activity into their life by taking them on more walks.
- Be patient as it can take time for pets to deal with their own grief.
Once you've established some basic care routines and steps for the pets, it's time to consider what to do with them.
Check the will or last testament
There may be a designated section in the will or last testament that gives you an idea as to what the deceased would've wanted for their pet. If there's a designated owner that they'd like to have the pet after they pass, get in touch with that individual and let them know the owner has passed and that they were named in the will as the new owner.
Option 1: Consider keeping the pet
If you're someone who loves animals or feels prepared to take on the responsibility that comes with having a pet, you can always consider keeping the pet yourself. If you have no experience with keeping pets, there are plenty of resources online to help as well as many helpful communities near you. Simply visit the nearest pet shop and you''re bound to see many advertisements and pamphlets for new pet owners.
If there's no information on making arrangements for their pets after death in the will or the deceased did not have a plan for their pet after they passed, it's time to ask friends, family, and your community.
Option 2: Ask a friend or family member to adopt the pet.
The most obvious choice in this scenario is to ask a trusted family member if they are willing to take ownership of the pet after someone dies. Many pets can get stressed and anxious when an owner dies or can be lethargic. They're often confused and may not understand what has happened, so having someone who they know adopt them is the ideal choice, if at all possible.
When considering potential choices, here are some questions you may want to ask:
- Does this individual have any other pets? If so, do their pets do well with other animals?
- Does this person have any children? If so, does the pet in question do well with children?
- Does this person have any allergies?
- Do they have enough space for the pet?
- Do they rent or do they own their property? If they rent, are there any stipulations in their policy against pets?
- Do they have any experience with pets?
- Do they have the financial ability, time, and resources to care for a pet?
- If the pet is elderly, are they comfortable taking care of an older animal?
- Are they comfortable assuming any medical or vet bills associated with the care of the pet if they were to adopt the pet?
These questions can help you identify the best suited folks in your family or pool of choices for people that may be willing to adopt the pet. If no one in your circle or your family's circle meets your criteria, it's time to start looking elsewhere and considering other options.
Option 3: Consider fostering the pet until a new owner can be found
If you're unable to find anyone to adopt the pet that you know, it's worth considering fostering the pet on your own until a new owner can be found. You can use sites like Petfinder.com and AdoptAPet.com to post the pet and let the community know you have a pet up for adoption.
It's also an excellent idea to include this information on the memorial website you set up for the deceased since many friends and family members will visit the site and see that the pet is up for adoption. It can also help if you ask them to share the memorial website (and subsequent adoption alert) to their own communities to see if anyone pops up that may be a good fit.
If you know the pet or the pet is familiar with you in any way, fostering can be a tremendous help during this transitionary period. It prevents the pet from being put up for adoption in a shelter and lets you make sure it has a safe home before you can find it's forever home. If you're unable to foster, it's also a good idea to ask your community if anyone is able to foster the pet while you search for a permanent home. You can make this offer better for friends and family if you agree (or the family agrees) to pay any expenses associated with the pet while it's being fostered.
Option 4: Surrender the pet
If you're unable to foster the pet, can't find anyone who is willing to adopt it, and have no other choices, you'll most likely need to surrender the pet to a shelter. You can choose to surrender the pet to a no-kill shelter if you're worried about euthanasia and it can help to explain the circumstance to the shelter as they may have foster families available to assist.
Handling pets and animals after someone dies is just one of many tasks you may be in charge of handling. For important information on many of the tasks you have to handle after someone dies, be sure to review Ever Loved's Post-Death Checklist.
