The relatively recent ability to provide very high-tech, expensive medical procedures to pets raises interesting questions for pet owners, veterinarians, and ethicists alike:

• Can we justify spending tens of thousands of dollars on a bone marrow transplant or chemotherapy for our dog or cat?

• Can we ethically own a pet if we are unwilling or unable to spend these sums on its care?

• Are we failing our pet if we decide not to “do everything” for it — and if the answer is “no” — can we avoid feeling guilty about it?

• What are our responsibilities to our pet vis à vis extending its life and/or preventing its suffering?

• Can we separate our own emotional desire for our pet to live longer from what may or may not be best for our pet?

A recent New York Times article highlights many of these ethical questions and also offers six opinions on the topic of end-of-life pet care. I found it thought-provoking and useful in two ways.

First, the article can be a useful resource for your clients if they are faced with a decision about caring for a seriously ill pet. It’s a series of short, accessible pieces.

Second, I found that shifting my own lens to think about medical care in the context of animals was a good exercise. Most of the questions above are the same ones we confront about high-tech treatments for ourselves and our loved ones. At some level, just the act of thinking about these questions in terms of animals forces us to compare and contrast these notions with our thoughts about human medical treatment. So while the answers to the questions above may – or may not – be different for our pets than for the humans in our lives, the thought process itself may actually help clients clarify their views about their personal health care decisions, as well. It did mine.

Randi J. Siegel, MBA, is the President of DocuBank (docubank.com), the largest advance directives registry in the U.S., which ensures that the healthcare directives of its 190,000 enrollees are immediately available 24/7/365. Working with estate planning professionals since 1997, Randi frequently speaks at national estate planning conferences and has appeared on radio and television as an authority on registries. She is active in health policy pertaining to advance directives and serves as a Senior Fellow at the Jefferson School of Population Health in Philadelphia. Randi is an ongoing contributor to the Academy blog.

Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com

What is it about our pets that make them such a part of our lives?  Could it be their unconditional love for us?  The fact they are there when we can’t sleep and we need someone to talk to, or when we want to get something off our chest and they are always in the mood to listen; or that they are just always there.

All of us can remember the first time we saw movies like “Old Yeller,” “Turner and Hooch,” and “Marley and Me.”  Most of us would have to admit we shed a tear, even if we had to hide it with, “ I just had something in my eye.”  But, until you are in that moment, when it happens to you, and your slobbering, sometimes smelly buddy is gone; the loss and sadness hits you like a ton of bricks.

For my wife Robyn and I, that slobbering sometimes smelly buddy, was Bosco.  He was a beautiful 6 year old Boxer.   Bosco was not just a dog; he was a member of our family.  He pretty much did what he wanted, and spent most of his time guarding our bedroom.  He had a large pillow by the window where he spent most of his days.  He took great pride in watching over Robyn and me, and let everyone know that came over he was merely allowing them to visit his (our) home.

He lived a comfortable life and was pretty healthy until one day he stopped eating.  At first there seemed to be no explanation, but we soon found out he had bone cancer.  In only a few weeks he was gone.  He even waited until we were out of town on vacation to die, and sometimes I wonder if he waited because he wanted to make it easier for us.  He was just that kind of dog.

It’s amazing how we all take things for granted.  I saw him every day, but I never thought about him not being around.  I think that must be true for quite a few things in our lives.  I never knew how many options there were for pet funerals.  I learned a lot that weekend about loss, grief and myself. We were not prepared. I work everyday in an industry that encourages others to plan for the inevitable, but when that inevitable day came for a member of my family I was at a total loss.

So encourage your clients to think ahead about their four legged friends.  Sitting down and planning for those difficult times is not easy.  It is so important for you to be that person for your clients that gently encourages them to face what we all ultimately know; nothing lives forever.  I believe funeral’s are an important part of grieving process, so we had a great service for Bosco.

This really made me realize that pet planning also includes funeral planning. If you do this well, your clients will appreciate it more than you will ever know.

Bryan W. Adams is President & CEO of Premier Planning, LLC and Founder of Legacy Safeguard. Bryan is considered one of the nations’ leading experts on final expense planning, and he frequently speaks throughout the country about the importance of assisting clients to gain peace of mind through advanced funeral funding.

Bryan’s passion for helping families prepare for their final expenses came from being raised in the funeral business. His family still owns and operates several funeral homes, and he is constantly amazed at how unprepared families are when a death occurs. Bryan has worked tirelessly to help Americans plan for the inevitable and lessen the burden on their loved ones.

Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
6050 Santo Road, Suite 240
San Diego, CA 92124
www.aaepa.com