Caring for pets after an owner’s death: Experts weigh in on good solutions

In many communities with a high number of second homeowners, the end of summer means many things, and one of the cruelest is abandoning a pet to its own devices when the owners return to their permanent homes.

It says something very good about Shelter Island that the pitiless practice of dumping a pet that has grown old and feeble on a roadside, or abandoning one that was taken in during the summer season, is extremely rare here.

“I can only think of one instance in the last few years,” said Shelter Island Animal Control Officer (ACO) Jenny Zahler. “It was the end of the summer and an elderly, deaf and blind cat that needed thyroid medication was dumped on Heritage Drive. She was found by a woman, who called me and told me she’d like to care for the cat, but couldn’t. So I took her home. She lived with me for a couple of years before she died.”

Officer Zahler’s home is a comfortable refuge to many animals that need help and a place to stay. Just within the last couple of weeks, the ACO retrieved baby squirrels from a nest in a Cartwright workshop and took them home to be bottle-fed until they’re old enough to be released.

One problem with pets on Shelter Island, which has an increasingly older population, is people not planning for the care of their animals when they’re no longer around.

“This happens a lot here,” Officer Zahler said. “No one makes it out of this alive, but a lot of people never think about that when it comes to their pets.”

According to the last U.S. Census, a third of the Island’s population is over 65. “People should have a plan for their pets,” Officer Zahler said, noting that often relatives are left to find homes for pets. “Some relatives might be allergic, for example, or have other problems in caring for a pet.” 

If an animal has been adopted, most reputable adoption agencies will take the pet back, she said, pointing out that there are several agencies in our area that will take in formally adopted pets, including Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons and the North Fork Animal Welfare League. The latter does a “terrific job running both Southold and Riverhead town shelters,” the ACO said.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, approximately 6.5 million animals enter shelters each year, with 3.2 million adopted.

The Humane Society of the United States has advice on caring for pets when the owner has passed away or has become incapacitated:

• Find at least two responsible friends or relatives who agree to serve as temporary emergency caregivers if something unexpected happens to you. Provide them with keys to your home; feeding and care instructions; the name of your veterinarian; and information about the permanent care provisions you have made for your pet.

• Make sure your neighbors, friends and relatives know how many pets you have and the names and contact numbers of the individuals who have agreed to serve as emergency caregivers. Emergency caregivers should also know how to contact each other.

• Carry a wallet “alert card” that lists the names and phone numbers of your emergency pet caregivers.

• Post removable “in case of emergency” notices on your doors or windows specifying how many and what types of pets you have. These notices will alert emergency response personnel during a fire or other home emergency. Don’t use stickers; they’re difficult to remove and are often left behind by former residents, so firefighters may assume that the sticker is outdated or even risk their lives trying to find a pet no longer in the house.

• Affix to the inside of your front and back doors a removable notice listing emergency contact names and phone numbers.

• Because pets need care daily and will need immediate attention if you die or become incapacitated, the importance of making these formal arrangements for temporary care giving cannot be overemphasized.

The New York City Bar Association says that care for pets can be included in wills, which can designate funds for care; designate a shelter or charitable organization to care for pets; and provide for euthanasia if caretakers can’t be found.

As the Humane Society says, we often make preparations for the deaths of our animals, but rarely think to offer the same comfort to them when the situation is reversed.