Part 2 of What Happens When There Is No Plan
During COVID, I got a lot of calls from pet owners asking the same question: what happens to my animals if I can't get home? I thought about it hard, and I created a Guardianship Form for my clients. For people I hadn't met yet, I sent them a copy so they could start thinking through it before an emergency hit.
A recent call from a pet owner in the hospital brought it all back. Someone needed immediate help with her animals, and the person stepping in knew nothing about the house or the pets. There was a lot of uncertainty. And I realized something: the time to answer these questions is before the emergency, not after.
What We Already Know About Our Regular Clients
For our regular clients, an emergency looks completely different. There's less uncertainty because we already know the animals. We've met them. They know us. We know who they are, what they look like, and what their normal routine is. We know when and how they eat, when they go outside, where the cat hides, where the dog likes to rest.
We know how to get into the home and secure it when we leave. We know where the food is, where the medications are, and where the carriers are. We have vet information on file, medical conditions, medication instructions, and vaccination records.
And just as important: we know what they like and what they're afraid of. We know what helps them feel safe.
Because we've cared for them before, we can see when something is different. We might know how they react to strangers. Whether certain animals need to be separated. How a dog needs to be approached when we put a leash on. We know who lives there and who else might show up—the cleaner, a contractor.
Our clients give us an emergency contact. But here's a question I think is equally important: who does your pet already know and trust? An emergency contact can answer the phone. That doesn't mean they know your pet. That doesn't mean they can safely handle them or comfort them.
Why it matters: When you need help, it's not the person who can answer fastest. It's the person your pet already knows.
When Someone Has Never Met Your Pet
When an emergency call comes in, and we've never met the person or their animals, we know nothing. The person helping might be a neighbor, a friend, a family member, or a pet professional walking into that house for the first time. They don't know where the pet hides. They don't know if the dog trusts strangers. They don't know where the carrier is, what medication is essential, or how to safely get an animal out.
That information seems ordinary when you live with your pets every day. But it can be critical to the person trying to help them in an emergency.
Think about this: If I couldn't come home today, would someone who has never cared for my pets know how to find them? Approach them safely? Meet their immediate needs? Get them to safety?
If the answer is no, now is the time to share that information with someone you trust.
Why it matters: A little preparation can make all the difference for both the animals and the person who is trying to help them.
Hurricane Season Makes This Especially Real
This is especially worth thinking about as we head into hurricane season. An evacuation. A hospitalization. An accident. Storm damage. Any of it can leave someone else responsible for reaching your pets and keeping them safe.
The emergency itself is stressful enough. You don't want the person helping to also be trying to figure out where the animals are or what they need.
Why it matters: Preparation means someone can act, not hesitate.
The Harder Question
There's also a question worth sitting with, even though it's not easy: What happens to your pets if you die?
It's easy to assume a family member will take them. That person might not be willing or able to. Decide who you would want to care for your pets. Talk with that person ahead of time. Have a backup plan too.
If you want to provide money for their care or make legally binding arrangements, that's a conversation for your estate-planning attorney. Those decisions belong in your legal planning, not in a note on the fridge.
Why I'm Thinking About This Now
I've seen the difference it makes when we already know a client and their pets compared to walking into a situation where almost everything is unknown. The difference is enormous.
My hope is that this encourages you to share the information that matters before someone needs it. Before the emergency. Before the hospital call. Before the uncertainty.
Call me if you want to talk through what that plan looks like for your pet.
(252) 635-2655
crockettscrittercare.com
Jeanne Crockett
Fear Free Elite Professional Animal Trainer | Canine Reactivity Specialist | First ACE Free Work Trainer in North Carolina
Crockett's Critter Care | New Bern, NC
