On the roadmap
Pet Trust.
A statutory pet trust that legally requires your chosen person to care for your pet after you die — backed by funding you set aside for the purpose.
Most people who care about their pets put a sentence in their will: “I leave my dog to my sister.” That sentence creates an owner. It doesn't create a duty. Your sister can sell the dog, surrender it to a shelter, or change her mind in any other way — and the will can't stop her. A pet trust can.
What's inside
The full pet-trust package.
Statutory pet trust
Recognized in all 50 states. Distinct from a 'pet bequest' in a will — bequests to non-humans aren't legally enforceable. A pet trust is. The trustee can be sued if they don't carry out your wishes.
Caretaker + alternate
The person who actually houses and looks after your pet. Often a different person from the trustee — keeps spending decisions independent from caregiving.
Trustee with payout schedule
The trustee pays the caretaker on the schedule you specify (monthly, as-bills-arrive, etc.) for food, vet, grooming, boarding, and end-of-life care.
Funding amount
Most pet trusts are funded with $5,000-$30,000 per pet, depending on species, age, and lifestyle. We help you estimate based on your pet's actual costs.
Remainder beneficiary
What happens to leftover trust funds after the pet's death — usually a humane society or a sibling, sometimes a niece who said she'd visit. Required for the trust to be legally complete.
Care instructions
A non-binding letter detailing food preferences, medications, daily routine, vet contact, and personality quirks. The trustee and caretaker use it as a guide.
Funding cheat sheet
What people actually fund pet trusts with.
Ranges are typical examples, not recommendations. State law often limits pet-trust funding to what's reasonable for the pet's actual care. Excess funds the court deems unreasonable can be redirected to your remainder beneficiary or distributed back to your estate.
Common questions
- Can't I just leave my pet to a friend in my will?
- You can — but it's not enforceable. Pets are legally property; you can will them to a person, and that person becomes their owner. But you can't compel that person to care for the pet a particular way, and you can't leave money to the pet itself (a non-human can't inherit). A pet trust solves both problems.
- What's the difference between a statutory pet trust and an honorary trust?
- Statutory pet trust — explicitly authorized by state law, enforceable in court, the standard answer. Honorary trust — older common-law concept, depends entirely on the trustee's good faith because beneficiaries (the pets) can't sue. Statutory is what you want.
- How much should I fund the trust with?
- Take annual cost of care (food, vet, grooming, boarding) × pet's expected remaining life × 1.5 for end-of-life vet bills. For a healthy adult dog, often $10,000-$20,000. For a cockatoo or tortoise that may outlive you significantly, much more.
- What happens to leftover money?
- It goes to your named remainder beneficiary at the pet's death. People often choose a humane society, a wildlife organization, or a relative who would have appreciated the pet. State law caps the funding amount at what's reasonable for the pet's care — excess funds can be redirected by the court.
Tell us you want this.
Pet trusts will be a $49 add-on to the will, or a $79 standalone if you don't need a will yet. We'll email when it ships in your state.
Start with the will today.
The pet-guardianship clause in the will is your placeholder until the dedicated pet trust ships.