How to care for your Pets in your Will
Most of us assume that we will outlive our pets. But what if you are the one who becomes ill or incapacitated, or who dies first? Do you have a plan that will ensure that your surviving companion animals receive the care, attention and accommodations they deserve?
The Ottawa Humane Society Pet Stewardship Program ensures that upon your death, your companion animals are adopted into loving homes that are best suited to their needs.
Pet Stewardship Program overview
The program operates as follows:
- Owner signs an agreement with the Ottawa Humane Society (OHS)
- Owner completes care information on the animal
- Bequeaths animal to OHS
- Upon death of the owner, OHS takes immediate custody of the animal and places it in foster care, estate transfer funds to OHS
- OHS agrees not to euthanize except in cases of disease or severe temperament problems
- Permanent caregiver is found
- Monitoring visits are arranged
- Medical care is arranged for the lifetime of animal
- OHS retains the right to remove the animal from the caregiver
Additional information and resources
Frequently Asked Questions
You can review FAQs about the Pet Stewardship Program and how it works.
Pet Stewardship Program Agreement
Please review the Ottawa Humane Society Pet Stewardship Program Agreement with your legal our financial advisor.
Animal Information Sheet
Once you have registered with the Pet Stewardship, we will ask you to complete the Animal Information Sheet, which gives us details on you companion animals. We will also require a digital picture of your companion animal for our records. Every year we will ask you to review this information.
Download the information sheet in Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format.
Sample Bequest Language
One of the most important parts of the Pet Stewardship Agreement is that the ownership of the companion animal must be transferred to the Ottawa Humane Society. It is very important that the correct bequest language be inserted in your will to give ownership of your companion to the Ottawa Humane Society.
How to Register
- Contact Manager, Legacy Giving at the Ottawa Humane Society at 613-725-3166, ext. 268.
- Review the Pet Stewardship Agreement with a legal professional and/or financial advisor.
- Sign the Pet Stewardship Agreement (link above).
- Bequeath your companion animal(s) to the Ottawa Humane Society in your Will.
- Arrange for a future payment to the Ottawa Humane Society in your Will (see below), or with a payment through a life insurance policy, a trust, or make an outright payment at the time you enroll your companion animal.
- Complete a Pet Stewardship Program Information Sheet for each companion animal you own and return it to us, along with a digital photograph of the companion animal. We will also ask you to update this on an annual basis.
- Send a copy of the section in your Will that refers to the Pet Stewardship Program to:
Ottawa Humane Society
Pet Stewardship Program
101 Champagne Avenue South
Ottawa, ON K1S 4P3
