Since the pandemic began early last year, there were increasing numbers of Americans who adopted so called “pandemic puppies”. These fur babies brought joys and companionship to many families who were confined to their homes due to governments’ lock down orders. Sadly, in a recent article USA Today reported that those dogs are being returned to shelters all cross the country.
I do not know all the reasons behind the surging numbers of returns of these dogs. But, I venture to say that if you have adopted puppies during the pandemic, with a little planning on your part things can work out pretty nicely between your puppies and you. The things you need to consider now that life has been gradually returning to pre-pandemic ways are how your new routines affect your dog and what the long-term costs of having a dog are. I will offer some tips on the financial part while leave it to you to figure out how to make your new routines work out for you and your dog.
Depending on the breed of the dog, some dog could incur a large amount of medical bills down the road. One way to mitigate the financial burden is to buy pet insurance. Do a cost/benefit analysis. Does it make sense to buy pet health insurance in your individual situation? Many pet insurances only cover cats and dogs, but a couple of insurers will also cover birds and reptiles. Before you purchase health insurance for your dog, be sure you understand what covered and excluded conditions are and how you file an insurance claim. Some plans do not cover routine office visits. Many pet insurance companies put their sample insurance policies on their websites. Locate these policies and read them carefully.
Our pets bring us joys and companionship, but they also depend on us for continuous care. How to provide such care in case we are not able to? The pandemic taught us how important it is for us to have some kind of estate plan in place. Fortunately, pet trust can be a valuable tool for pet owners to do so. So far, all 50 states of the U.S have passed laws allowing pet owners to set up trusts for their companion pets. While considering setting up a trust for your dog, it is a good practice to designate different parties as caregiver of your dog and trustee that administers the funds in the trust for your four-legged companion respectively.
Alternatively, pet owners can opt for a pet protection agreement, which is simpler than setting up pet trusts, to protect their pet. With a pet protection agreement, pet owners can name their pets’ guardians, leaving funds, and providing instructions for how to care for your pets when you are not around.
Hopefully, with a bit of creativity and some planning by you, the “pandemic puppy” will be your companion for many, many years to come.