When I volunteered at the Orange County animal shelter, people often brought in a pet who had belonged to a deceased relative. It appeared that those who inherit the house, etc., also got the pets.
The kill rate was very high at that time.
I would try to encourage the person to make an effort to re-home it, as its chances of living out the day were minute. The lack of compassion toward these animals sickened me. It was obvious that in our disposable society, pets and paper plates have equal worth to some.
A good friend and I were both widowed in our 40s. She is an exceptional dog owner, so we agreed that whoever outlived the other would inherit the other’s dog. When I had a medical emergency 20 years later, she came here and took my Penny home with her.
While I was waiting for the paramedics, I knew I was losing consciousness.
My biggest fear was that my dog would end up at a county shelter. Our fire chief, Dwight Pepin, arrived with the medics. He assured me that he would personally take my dog to a Solvang friend until my friend arrived from Orange County. I will always be extremely grateful to this compassionate man.
I recently heard of two dogs who died of starvation because their owner, who lived alone, was unconscious for a week in the hospital. When I heard of this dreadful event, I decided to put together a two-sided form, and hopefully keep other pets from a similar fate.
Regardless of one’s health or age, you should put a form on the front or side of your refrigerator. One side of the form is for your medical information; the other side is for your animals. Best of all, it will list several contact people whom the firefighters or paramedics can phone to take care of your pets in an emergency situation.
Please, give a great deal of thought as to the people who will inherit your animals if you should die, and be sure to ask their permission prior to adding their names to your form. You might consider leaving them $5,000 to $10,000 for future veterinary bills, however it would not be wise to mention this.
In the next few weeks, I will contact all senior centers, humane societies, and city halls in Santa Barbara County and ask that they distribute these forms as a public service.
Presently, these forms are available at the senior centers in Solvang and Buellton, in addition to both city halls. J. Woeste has agreed to carry them at his Los Olivos business, also.
I recently phoned the Humane Society of the United States and asked for will information. If you readers are interested in this, you can call 1-800-808-7858 or log onto humanesociety.org/petsinwills.
The Humane Society of the United States has done remarkable things to help animals since the young and energetic Wayne Pacelle became their president. This proves what a difference one dedicated person can make to prevent animal suffering.
Many thanks to Ron Butcher, director of the Solvang senior center, for helping me create the form.
Hazel Mortensen is a Solvang resident. Send comments to Executive Editor Ryan Miller at rmiller@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 6-13, 2009.