Advance Planning for Pets

Everyone knows it: in most areas of our lives, advance planning makes sense. It's really a matter of being prepared for an unknown future, isn't it? And in our opinion (and that of the ASPCA and The Humane Society of the United States), when it comes to responsible pet care, advance planning is essential. Not only when it comes to end-of-life planning, of course; preparing for an emergency is another very valuable form of advance planning. (If you're ready to make an emergency plan in advance view the ASPCA's "Emergency Pet Preparedness", read The Humane Society's "Make a Disaster Plan for Your Pets", or review these U.S. Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) guidelines.)

Preparing for disasters and other emergencies is one thing; but being prepared for your pet's passing is another. Exactly how do you plan in advance for something you really can't bear to even think about? You do so by taking a deep breath, and then turning to our pet loss professionals.

Why Plan in Advance?

One of the hardest things in life to deal with is regret; if we're not careful, we can carry our regrets for far too long. And here's the underlying truth of it: by planning your pet’s final care in advance, you are far less likely less to carry any regrets after your pet is gone. Not only that, you will know in advance how your pet's passing will be handled; making you far less anxious about what's ahead. There are additional benefits to advance planning, including:

• Ensuring your family doesn't have to make difficult decisions at a time when their hearts are broken.
• Having sufficient time to effectively weigh your pet loss service and merchandise options, and come to a decision everyone in the family can live with comfortably.
• Making decisions which are in line with your family's emotional needs and financial constraints.
• Locking in today's prices by choosing to pre-pay for your pet's advance care.

In other words, finalizing a pet’s pre-arrangements eliminates hastily-made decisions (such decisions usually result in regret).

How We Can Help

Naturally, you're aware we offer immediate need services to area pet owners. When a pet passes, ours is commonly the first phone number dialed by grieving family members. But as you've seen here, we also offer advance planning services. When you turn to us to assist you with planning your pet's end-of-life care, we'll guide you in:

• Choosing between pet cremation and pet burial
• Selecting related merchandise (pet casket or cremation urn)
• Establishing where you will bury your pet or how their ashes will be handled
• Deciding which type of service you'd like: a pet funeral or pet memorial service
• Electing to pre-pay for our services and products

These decisions will be recorded by a member of our staff and kept on file for the future. We will also furnish you with a copy of your pet's advance planning documents for your files.

If you're ready to take on the very loving and very practical step of planning ahead for your pet's passing, give us a call at (956) 484-1415.  We can also be reached via email, using our contact form.