French Actor Tries To Have Pet Euthanized In His Estate Plan: There Are Better Ways

Many people, when planning their estate, make plans for beloved pets. That’s a great idea. But one French actor tried to include a provision that proved to be very controversial, and ultimately, denied: he asked that his otherwise healthy dog be euthanized, so that he could be laid to rest with his animal.

Request is Ultimately Denied

The request spurned outcry in France, with many animal activists speaking out against the request. The request was challenged in court, and the animals were rehomed, and thus allowed to live.

Technically, putting something in estate documents requesting that an otherwise healthy animal be euthanized when you pass, may be legal, if nobody challenges it, and of course, assuming a personal representative or executor could find a veterinarian to perform an otherwise unnecessary euthanasia, thus risking his or her veterinary license.

A personal representative that sees such a request in estate documents, would likely  know that he or she cannot and should not honor a request like that put in an estate plan. And if it’s your estate plan, aside from the ethics of including such a provision, you should know that including it is likely to end up costing your beneficiaries money, because the executor will have to petition the court for permission to disobey such a request, an action that, while likely successful, will cost money that comes out of the estate.

The executor or personal representative is in a no-win situation. If he or she honors your request the executor could be violating animal cruelty laws. If he or she does not, the executor could be punished by family members who see the executor as not honoring the estate documents.

Even worse, these kinds of things are likely to draw unwanted media attention.

There are Other Ways

None of this is necessary. You can arrange for your pet to be buried next to you, but when the pet naturally passes away.

In the meantime, you can have provisions to care for the animal. Friends or family may voluntarily undertake that task at their expense, or you can leave money in your estate to do so.

You can also establish a pet trust, where a trustee will monitor the animal’s placement, and manage expenses and assets left to the pet’s care in the trust, that are related to the animal. You can, through a power of attorney, give someone the authority to make decisions for and on behalf of the animal.

Include Your Pets

Remember that if you don’t have an estate plan, you could, inadvertently, be sealing your beloved pet’s fate. If there is no direction in a will or trust on what to do with the animal, and nobody you know claims or wants it, the animal could end up being sent to a county animal control center, and if not adopted, it could be euthanized by the county.

Take care of your pets the right way in your estate plan. Call the Torrance probate will and estate attorneys at Samuel Ford Law today.

Source:

cnn.com/2024/08/21/europe/alain-delon-family-refuse-dog-burial-scli-intl/index.html