Pet Trust Planning for Santa Rosa Residents

First, consider who could care for your animal

Start by identifying a proposed caregiver. Before building a plan around that person, ask whether they are willing to take on the responsibility and talk through what caring for the animal would involve. You may also want to consider another possible caregiver in case your first choice cannot serve.

California Probate Code provides for trusts for the care of a living animal. The proposed arrangement should identify its animal-care purpose and the people and resources involved. That makes the caregiver choice one part of a larger decision: how the animal’s care, the people involved and the resources you want to address fit together.

• Who would you feel comfortable asking to provide care?
• Have you discussed the proposal with that person?
• Is there another person you would want to consider if the first choice is unavailable?

Use records to make the proposal specific

Optional preparation can help you explain your wishes clearly. You might gather the animal’s identifying details, a description of its usual routine, care preferences, and contact information for people involved in its care. These notes are practical aids for discussion, not a legal checklist or veterinary guidance.

You can also write down which resources you want to discuss as part of the arrangement and what information a proposed caregiver would need to understand your intentions. The purpose is to make the animal-care plan concrete enough to evaluate: who is involved, what care the arrangement is meant to support, and what resources you want considered.

• Optional: collect care notes and relevant contact details.
• Optional: list questions about resources you want to address.
• Optional: note any changes in routine or circumstances you would want to discuss.

Separate care, resource management and oversight

The person you are considering as caregiver and the person responsible for managing trust resources present different planning questions. In the enacted California animal-trust framework, the trustee is distinguished from a person designated or appointed to enforce the trust purpose. This is a planning distinction to consider; it does not mean every arrangement must use the same structure.

Think about who you would want to manage resources for the stated animal-care purpose and whether you want a separate person involved in oversight. Consider whether the people you have in mind understand the proposed roles and can communicate about the animal’s care. A clear discussion can help you identify choices to resolve, but it does not guarantee a particular enforcement outcome.

• Who would you propose as caregiver?
• Who would you want to manage resources for the animal-care purpose?
• Would you want a separate person involved in oversight of that purpose?

Bring the open decisions to a planning conversation

A practical starting point is to bring your proposed caregiver’s name, any alternative you are considering, optional care notes, and your questions about resources and oversight. You might also consider how you would want to revisit the plan if the proposed caregiver’s availability or the animal’s routine changes.

The conversation can focus on whether the people and resources you have in mind align with the care purpose you want to express, and which decisions still need attention. Codi M. Dada Law Office P.C. provides virtual services throughout California from its one in-person office in Novato.