As part of your adoption packet today, Helen Woodward Animal Center is providing
you with a Pet Protection Agreement ® pet trust.
Once you have settled your new pet in at home, please take advantage of this
protection that may help your pet, should you become unable to care for it.
Here is information about this product from animal law attorney Rachel
Hirschfeld, who created the Pet Protection Agreement ®:
What is this?
The document you will create is a simple Agreement that allows you to name a pet guardian to take
care of your pets, and gives you the ability to leave funds to care for your pets.
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When you cannot take care of your pet, for any reason, during your life or after your death,
promises made by family or friends may be forgotten or broken as a result of the passage of
time or changed circumstances. It is truly important to create a legally enforceable plan to
protect your beloved pet. That is what the Pet Protection Agreement® is. By taking just a few
moments to answer some questions about your pets and your wishes, you will generate a Pet
Protection Agreement® that could help protect your pet from ending up on the street.
The Pet Protection Agreement® is valid in all states. It is a free-standing document. It is not
enacted by mention in a Will. The court is not authorized to change your instructions in this
Agreement.
The Pet Protection Agreement® has the express purpose of establishing continued care for
pets should the Pet Owner be unable to do so. It should be signed by the pet guardian ahead
of time, so they are not surprised when it is time to enact it. These documents authorize the
pet’s “Community of Care” to take proactive steps to safeguard the designated pet or pets.
Why do you want it?
With a Pet Protection Agreement®, you get:
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A personalized agreement that covers all current and future pets
The ability to provide instructions for each pet's wants and needs
Recent changes in estate law have transformed the way in which courts now deal with pets and all
other animals. The shift is on-going and the trend is toward a much more enlightened view of pets
that improves greatly on their legal status as property. These changes bring new responsibilities and
new opportunities. It is vital that Pet Owners or Pet Guardians create legal documents that protect the
welfare and security of family pets and all animals. A will doesn’t offer the same protection.
In her will, Jane left $10,000 to her sister, Nancy, for the care of her dog, Max. Nancy cried at her
sister Jane's funeral then took Max to the pound and used the $10,000 for a shopping spree in Paris.
No one, including the court, could do anything about it. Because pets are considered property, they
cannot legally inherit. Jane is not permitted to leave money directly in her will to her pet. The provision
asking Nancy to care for the pet with the monies left is a request and the court has no power to
enforce her wishes. The Pet Protection Agreement® assures legal protection for your pets
continued care.
Who created it?
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Rachel Hirschfeld is a nationally renowned expert in estate planning and the preeminent
authority on continuing protection of all animals. Her mission is to ensure that every pet that
has found a loving home is guaranteed a secure future. She is a frequent author and lecturer,
often quoted in newspapers, legal journals and other media outlets including: ABC Nightline,
CBS Early Show, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The Today Show, The New Yorker,
Newsweek, Dow Jones, Newsday, The New York Sun, Bottom Line Retirement, The National
Academy of Elder Law Attorney's Journal, Consumer Digest, and Fox News. She was one of
the first attorneys in the country to focus on what is now known as animal law. Ms. Hirschfeld
co-founded and co-chairs the New York County Lawyers Association’s Animal Law Committee
and works closely with many animal centers, shelters, sanctuaries and the animal committees
of the American Bar Association, New York City and New York State Bar Associations. She is
a member of the prestigious National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) where she
has served on the Advanced Programming and Education committees.
Through her practice, and the devastating illnesses of her beloved shelter dog, Soupbone - the
missing link in her life that ultimately set her on the path of her most important life’s work - she
created the Pet Protection Agreement® pet trust which assures legal protection for a pet’s
continued care.
What are the instructions to follow to create my Pet Protection Agreement®?
You will receive an email at the email address which you provided to your adoption counselor
when you adopted your pet. If you do not receive an email, please check your spam folder, or
go to www.petprotectionagreement.org/myagreement to have the email resent to you. If you
have any further problems, please contact the adoption department at Helen Woodward
Animal Center (858-756-4117 x1) to have the email resent to you.
Simply click the link in the email to access your personal Pet Protection Agreement and follow
the instructions there to complete it. If you have any questions about the Pet Protection
Agreement you may contact PetProtectionAgreement.org directly at
www.PetProtectionAgreement.org/contact.
Helen Woodward Animal Center is not responsible for any loss, injury, claim, liability, or damage related to use of Pet Protection
Agreement ®. The Pet Protection Agreement ® is an independently created and copyrighted product.
The Pet Protection Agreement® pet trust and information herein does not constitute legal advice, does not create an attorney-client
relationship, and all warranties are expressly disclaimed.