Why Canadians are adding their pets to their wills

Pet owners are putting additional expenses in their wills to ensure their pets are taken care of. Maria Sarrouh reports.

Canadians are making plans to protect the pets they love and, in some cases, animals they’ve never met in their wills.

Willful, an online estate-planning platform, says its analysis of more than 44,000 wills found that close to one in three Canadians, or 36 per cent, set aside money for their pets. Some appoint caregivers for their animals, with the average cash gifts allotted to pet guardians sitting at $11,121 across the country.

The money helps cover everything from vet bills to toys, said Erin Bury, the company’s co-founder and CEO.

“Our loved ones are not just our children, or parents, or siblings, or friends,” she said. “They’re also our furry companions.”

Bury added that many Canadians don’t realize that they can include pets in their wills, but thinking ahead can help avoid an unfortunate situation. One of the top reasons pets end up in shelters she said, is because an owner dies without a clear plan for who will take over their care.

“You can also record any care instructions outside the will… ‘this is the bone that Fido loves the most. This is the type of food that he eats. This is the vet contact information,’” Bury said. “This is useful not just in case you pass away, but in case you go away for the weekend and someone is coming to look after your pet.”

The numbers suggest cash gifts vary by animal type and region. Horse owners leave an average of $21,876, compared with $12,133 for bird owners and $11,705 for dog owners. Among major cities, Vancouver has the highest average at $6,070, followed by Toronto at $4,892 and Calgary at $4,714.

For some, the planning goes beyond pets in their own homes.

‘Deeply meaningful’ Legacy Gifts

At the P.E.I. Humane Society, people can make what are known as legacy gifts, whether by designating a share of their estate to the charity or naming it as a beneficiary through an RRSP, RRIF or life insurance policy. There are other options too.

Ashley Travis, the shelter’s development and communications coordinator, said that kind of support can help cover some of the biggest expenses, especially when animals are sick, need surgery or other specialized treatment.

“The cost of veterinary care in Canada, just like everything else, is increasing,” said Travis. “That’s a huge area of expense for us that we would definitely use gifts like that for.”

Travis said the gifts the organization receives vary widely, from a few hundred dollars to more than $1 million.

“It’s deeply meaningful regardless of the size,” she said. “The impact for that person on that charity is no less felt.”

Those donations also help the P.E.I. Humane Society think beyond immediate needs and build sustainably for the future.

“Islanders have relied on us for 50 years already,” Travis said. “How can we be here for the next 50?”