Famous Fido Rescue

WE CAN SAVE THEM ALL

Life Plan

If something happened to you, what would happen to your dog or cat? Learn more here about building a life plan for your dog or cat. In order to ensure that your dog or cat continues to receive proper care if something should happen to you, it is important to establish a will or living trust that includes consideration of your animal(s).

Steps to Provide for Your Animal

• REHOME - Any companion animal would prefer to be in a home than a shelter. Consider your friends and family first as rehoming options. Do you know a suitable trustworthy person who would be willing to take in your animal? After this option has been exhausted, contact Famous Fido to arrange future care.

• YOUR WILL – Specify a designated amount of money for the lifetime care of your animal. It becomes increasingly difficult to find new homes for animals the older they get. Be aware that the cost of healthcare will increase as they age.

• KEEP HEALTH RECORDS – Keep your animal’s veterinary records, receipts, vaccination certificates etc. If your records are not up to date, contact the clinics or animal hospitals where they have been treated and request copies of their complete records. Having complete records of your animal’s medical history may help to save its life on the future.

• PERSONAL NOTES – Add a page to your medical records describing your animal’s personality. List their likes and dislikes relating to food, toys, games, exercise and sleeping habits etc. Also, note how your animal reacts to dogs, cats and children.

• BINDING AGREEMENT – Write up a document signed by you and your animal’s future carer, whether this is a trusted friend/relative or Famous Fido. It must be written clearly and simply to avoid problems or misunderstandings in the future. Note specific details of the financial trust and how to access parts of the funds immediately. Print copies of the agreement and ensure you give them to all parties involved. Provide copies to your family, vet, landlord, attorney and friends. Leave copies in your home that can be easily found.

• EMERGENCY CARD – Keep a card in your wallet in case something happens to you so that your rescuer will know you have animals in your home that need attention. Display a notice in your home (maybe on your refrigerator) with similar information. Sometimes frightened animals will hide from strangers or noise. Make sure people know they are there and in need of help.

A note from Gloria Lissner on the importance of official endowments and pre-arranged provision.

We get calls every day from people begging us to take the animals of people who have died, sadly leaving their beloved animals with no provision. Most of these people had thought they had made adequate arrangements by either asking someone to take them in or simply assuming that someone would, but it just doesn’t happen. We have heard too many horror stories of people deciding they aren’t able to take on these animals, so they dump them at shelters or leave them to fates even more horrifying. Situations such as the one described in the poem aren’t rare. Don’t let this happen to your animal. Ensure you have made provision for their care. No one will care as much about them in the future, as you do now. You made a commitment to care for them until the end of their life. Regardless of age or health, please ensure that your animal will be provided for if you are no longer here to care for them.

A particular story was brought to my attention and I think it demonstrates well how even the best of intentions can go wrong. One woman had made provision for her beloved Labrador to remain in her home after she died and be cared for by a neighbor until the end of his life. The neighbor was to live rent-free in her home and also receive a $1200 salary per month until the dog died. Arrangements were made through the trust department of her bank. Unfortunately, five years later when the Labrador died, her neighbor was not ready to give up his free home and easy salary, so bought a new Labrador and passed it off as the old one. This went on for a number of years and one further Labrador later, someone realised that if this was Mrs Brown’s beloved Clancy, then Clancy had done the unthinkable by living to 21 years old!

To prevent people taking advantage of your provision or not meeting the obligations they had previously promised, we offer to rehome and then monitor your animal until the end of its life. We will find a suitable home for them, where all residents will be interviewed and vetted, and ensure that your money is spent where it should be, on caring for your animal. A smaller amount would go to our rescue and we would provide a monitoring service, where a member of Famous Fido staff would check on your animal on a regular basis.

We have already helped many people, for example...

• After Noelle the Irish setter guardian’s died, the guardian’s husband and daughter decided they did not want to care for Noelle any longer. They decided to leave her at a shelter, even though it was expressly against her guardian’s final wishes. Senior dogs, such as Noelle, rarely last long at shelters. Luckily a concerned friend informed Famous Fido. We were able to intervene, took Noelle in and rehomed her with people who adored her until she died.

• Charlie the Lhasa Apso was nearly sold on Craigslist, after his guardian’s health unexpectedly deteriorated and she had to be moved into a nursing home. We were able to take Charlie in and he is now happy and rehomed with a wonderful family who love him.

We need to stop situations reaching this level of emergency. The poem says it all. Ensure provision is made before it is necessary, as we know of too many animals that we were unable to help. Endowments for your pet must be made official and monitored by people who really care. Please speak to us for help and advice on how to set this up, so your pet will be safe and cared for when you are no longer here.

Pet Insurance

If your dog or cat gets sick or injured, the last thing you want to think about is how much it will cost. Animal health insurance helps protect you from that financial burden and makes sure you can focus on getting the best care possible for your animal. Whether your dog or cat has several minor incidents or develops a serious medical condition like cancer, pet insurance shields your budget from unexpected veterinary cost. Knowing that your animal's healthcare is covered allows you to determine the course of treatment based on what will be most effective for the health and happiness of your animal (not the size of your wallet). With medical insurance, your dog or cat will be taken care of.

Your Promise — My Trust — Forever Love

By Sister Marijon Binder

You promised you would always take care of me.
You loved me – I know you did – I saw it in your eyes and sweet smile.
I felt it in the touch of your gentle fingers as you scooped me up in your giant protective hands.
I was feeling so scared and vulnerable without my mother when you hugged me close and assured me that
“Everything will be all right; you’re safe now with me. I won’t ever let anyone hurt you; You’ll be mine and I’ll be yours forever!“
We had such a happy life together!
We played ball and hide-and-seek around doors We cuddled together to watch TV or observe the world go past our windows.
You kept my food and water bowls full, and teased me with treats from your plate.
You laughed when I chased toys or snatched interesting things from your clean laundry basket.
You showed me off proudly to your visitors and boasted that I was the smartest, most loving, best friend ever!
You drew me close to your heart at night, my contented purrs relaxing you, and your soft whispers reassuring me till we both fell asleep.
You loved me – I know you did – you told me so often.
And I loved you – I told you so in every way I could.
You worried when I coughed or limped and took me promptly to the vet when I felt sick.
You made sure I was securely held when we moved from a big house to an apartment.
You hired someone to feed and keep me company when you went away for a few days.
You promised you would always take care of me – and you did.
You loved me – I felt it – I know you did.
Then why am I so frightened now?
Feeling all alone and confused and hearing my survival instincts urge me to run fast and
far from the people who have taken over our home while you are away.
I hear them talking as I hide under your bed, my once trusting heart now trembling with fearsome uncertainties:
“What are we going to do about the animals?”
“Didn’t Emily promise to take them?”
“I believe so but she has moved away.
Anyway she has a couple of animals herself and doesn’t really want any more.”
“How about you, Herb?”
“Naw, I don’t want to be tied down with an animal!”
“I’d take it, but my child is allergic!”
“My lease states clearly, ‘No Pets!’”
“Our condo rules won’t allow it.”
“Just drop it off at the Pound!”
“But they’ll put it to sleep!”
“So what? It’s old anyway!”
“I can take it in my car when I leave town after the funeral and drop it off on a country road.
Some farmer will let it live in his barn.”
“Let’s just leave a door open tonight. It will be happier roaming around freely outdoors with other strays,
and maybe someone will take it in when the weather gets cold.”
*ldq Wait. I’ll call some non-kill animal shelters. They’ll be glad to get it!”
“I tried that once. Every place I called said they were too full.
And besides, they all wanted its medical history and a donation to support it.”
“Donation? Is anything stipulated for the animal in the will?
Who of us is going to come up with a donation?”
“Who knows what vet has its medical history?
Does anyone know where to find such papers?”
“All of that is too much to expect of us. After all, it’s not our responsibility.”
You promised you would always take care of me.
You loved me – I know you did.
You hugged me close and assured me that
“Everything will be all right: you’re safe with me.
I won’t ever let anyone hurt you.
You’ll be mine and I’ll be yours forever!”