Sharing’s Caring: Why you should share your pet-care plans with trusted loved-ones and care-givers.

Sharing’s Caring.

Why you should share your pet-care plans with trusted loved-ones and care-givers.

Do you know what would happen to your pet if you were taken ill?

One of the more frequent calls for advice to the branch is from people who find that they, or someone they know, has been taken ill suddenly, or is having to spend time in hospital temporarily for surgery or medical treatments, but there has been no care plan put in place for the pets in the home.

In some cases, sadly, the call follows a death in the family, with nowhere for the beloved pet to go.

In most cases, the RSPCA is unable to to directly assist due to the demand for frontline teams to attend urgent animal emergencies, and due to an increasing lack of animal boarding spaces, or fostering volunteers.?

It may also be useful to refer to the Care Act 2014, which outlines legislation of pet care provision in the event that an owner is hospitalised. Local Authorities have a duty to facilitate and assist in protecting the property of someone who is hospitalised. In this case pets are classed as property. Part of this provision is to take any pets that cannot be cared for by family or relatives, temporarily into their care whilst owners are in hospital.

We never know what might be around the corner, and as animal lovers, we all want the best for our fury, scaly, or feathered friends. With this in mind, we urge all pet owners to create a pet-care plan in the event of any circumstances which would mean an animal being left alone.?

What to consider

Think PETS: Plan, Explore, Tell, Show

Plan: Create a pet-care plan that is catered to the needs of your animal. This might include creating a pack that lists all of your pet’s needs: nutrition, medication, access to indoors and outdoors, exercise routines, and so on. Consider writing a brief outline of your animal’s temperament, whether they are nervous around certain things or people, where they would feel most safe (might this be with other pets or with no pets at all?), and keep a list of essentials, such as their microchip number, their registered vet, their groomers, and any information on notable medical history or past experiences that might influence how they are cared for.?

Explore your options: Who and/or where can offer temporary or permanent care for your pet should you be taken ill, or pass away? Speak to family, friends and neighbours about their willingness or ability to take on your pet should they need to.?

You could also consider speaking in advance with the Cinnamon Trust, a national charity for the elderly, the terminally ill and their pets.?

What the Cinnamon Trust does, from their website, “A network of 15,000 volunteers “hold hands” with owners to provide vital loving care for their pets. We keep them together - for example, we'll walk a dog every day for a housebound owner, we'll foster pets when owners need hospital care, we'll fetch the cat food, or even clean out the bird cage.”

The Cinnamon Trust also provides a pet-friendly care home and retirement housing register, which lists care homes and retirement homes that allow residents’ pets to live with them.

Consider registering for RSPCA Home for Life. The Home for Life scheme means that, in the event that your pet outlives you, the RSPCA will care for them, and do all we can to find them a happy home and someone special to look after them.

Add details about any schemes or services (such as those mentioned above) to your pet-care plan, with telephone numbers, or any brochures you receive about which schemes you have set in place for your pet.

Tell: Share your pet-care plan with trusted loved-ones, friends, neighbours and any care-givers you have. Talk to them about where to locate your pet’s details, should you become unwell.

Show: Display a clear notice in a prominent place in your home that tells visitors you have a pet in the home that will need care if you are no longer able to provide it. We advise that you don’t put this in your window for others to see, rather only for those you trust, carers, or emergency responders to take note of in the event of illness, hospital stays or should you pass away.

We have provided a printable template, here.?DO NOT DISPLAY EXTERNALLY.

Resources

The Cinnamon Trust

Web: https://cinnamon.org.uk/, Tel: 01736 757 900, Registered Office: 10 Market Square, Hayle, Cornwall TR27 4HE

RSPCA Home for Life

Web: https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/care/homeforlife, Email: [email protected], Tel: 0300 123 0239, Address: RSPCA, Home for Life Team, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, RH13 9RS