Above all, Brenda Marks worried about the future of her 3-year-old poodle if something should happen to her. She enlisted the help of an Estate Planning Attorney to write a Pet Trust to solve this problem. Brenda wanted to protect her pet’s lifestyle. If she could no longer provide care for her fur baby, she wanted to ensure the next Caretaker knew what to do. However, when Brenda received her final Pet Trust document from the Estate Planning Attorney, she realized two things:
1. She had no one to take care of her poodle even though she had the Pet Trust.
2. The Pet Trust gave broad directions for her pet’s care but didn’t go into any details.
Even though the Trust stated to walk her dog 3x daily, it didn’t say to keep her in the shade. It didn’t say that she should only have pink accessories. Additionally, it didn’t say that Sunday was a special day because she got scrambled eggs for breakfast.
THE ANIMAL FOUNDATION AND CHARITY HAVE THE SOLUTION
As can be seen, these detailed pet care directions were important to Brenda. She wanted her dog to continue the lifestyle she was accustomed to. So, Brenda decided, in tribute to her husband, Edwin, to start the Edwin D Marks Animal Foundation. Their mission is to educate people about Pet Trusts and how to prepare them.
The Foundation grew. In addition to teaching people about Pet Trusts, Brenda wanted to actually help people prepare and implement them. Regulations made it difficult to do this within the Foundation. For that reason, Guardian Pet Trust was founded to continue the work of the Foundation.
ELDER AND ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEYS CAN HELP
Brenda solved the problem of how to prepare Pet Trusts. She devised a Care Plan that is like an instruction manual. However, we are not lawyers. And, Elder or Estate Planning Attorneys don’t want to spend time preparing Pet Care Instructions. With this in mind, the best plan includes a partnership between Elder or Estate Planning Attorneys and Guardian Pet Trust.
Keep reading to see why!
THE GOALS OF GUARDIAN PET TRUST
• Provide Pet Trust-related services to prepare and implement all aspects of Pet Trusts
• Partner with Elder or Estate Planning Attorneys to help them prepare their clients’ pet’s Care Plan. Our Care Plan can then be used as an exhibit in the Pet Trust
• Impact our community’s shelters by increasing the number of dogs and cats with Pet Trusts. Every pet with a Pet Trust can leave an open spot in a shelter for a younger more adoptable pet. This leads to more dogs and cats being rehomed and fewer pets euthanized.
PET TRUST INFORMATION HAS BEEN VERY VAGUE
Even Pet Trust Law Doesn’t
Talk about How to Write the Trust
Until now there has been very limited and very vague information available to help Pet Owners and their Elder or Estate Planning Attorneys prepare a well-designed Pet Trust.
Florida Pet Trust law Statute 736.0408 only points out that:
• All pets named in the Trust must be alive at the time of the writing of the Trust
• The Trust operates until the last pet named in the Trust dies
• The Trust can be enforced by a person appointed by the trustmaker or a person appointed by the court
• If the value of the Trust exceeds the amount needed to care for the pet, the excess must be distributed to the creator of the Trust, if still living, or to a residuary beneficiary named by the Trustmaker.
OUR PET TRUST CARE PLAN MAKES YOUR JOB EASIER
• We developed a process to write Care Plans for Pet Trusts. Our Care Plan can be used as an exhibit by an Estate Planning Attorney when they prepare a Pet Trust.
• We help identify the details for the care of the dog or cat and you take care of the legal wording of the Trust.
• We save you a lot of frustration and time. We simplify your Trust writing process.
HOW BECOMING A GPT PARTNER BENEFITS YOU
You gain notoriety as a Pet Trust Estate Planning Attorney and a valuable Pet Trust Resource!
You become a part of the solution to the inadequacies of Pet Trust Law.
It decreases the amount of time you have to spend on writing the Pet Care Part of Pet Trusts
You are affiliated with a 501(c)3 Charity that wants to protect the future of our pets by promoting Pet Trusts
You gain valuable time for other legal endeavors
Clients needing Pet Trusts and Estate Planning Attorneys will seek your services.
When you join us, we will post your picture, contact information, and link to your website on our website (Free Advertising)
If You’ve
Made it This Far…
YOU are the
Partner we want!
You know people love their pets. According to APPA’s 2023-2024 survey, there are over 84 million homes in the US with pets! Some people love their dogs and cats as children. Some love them even more than their children. When people are in the midst of estate planning, they want to find a way to take care of their fur babies. Together, in GPT Partnership, we offer a solution to protect the future of their pets.
• You have the legal expertise to write the Pet Trust
• We have the process in place to write the individualized Pet Care Plan.
• Together we have the best and most efficient Pet Trust Writing Process of all!
Estate planning encompasses a wide range of specialized areas. Why spend your valuable time finding out how many times a day Fido is fed or Wilma is walked? Spend your time on the legalities of estate planning and let GPT take care of the Pet Trust Care Plan.
What do
you need to do?
• Click on the link and send us your contact information. A GPT representative will contact you to answer any questions you may have.
• Become a member of GPT. (Everyone who is involved with GPT is required to become a member of our charity.)
• Submit your business contact information and photograph for our Valued Partners Page. Once you become a member of GPT and sign up to partner with us, we will provide free advertising for you on our website’s Valued Partners Page.
Help protect the future of your clients’ pets
Dogs and cats who’ve lost their owners temporarily or permanently need you.
Stop worrying about the Care Plan of a Pet Trust.
We’ll take care of that for you!
