Can I Provide for My Pet in an Ohio Estate Plan?
Choose a caregiver and a practical handoff
A pet needs care before estate paperwork is complete. Ask the proposed caregiver whether they are willing and able to serve, and select an alternate. Keep veterinary contacts, medication information, feeding instructions, and safe access arrangements available to a trusted person. An instruction buried in a will may not help someone who needs to feed the animal tonight.
Consider a trust when oversight matters
Section 5804.08 authorizes an Ohio trust for an animal alive during the settlor’s lifetime. The trust can provide a structure for care and enforcement rather than an unrestricted gift accompanied only by a request. Its statutory duration ends with the relevant animal’s death, or the last surviving covered animal. Drafting should fit the actual animals and intended care arrangement.
Separate caregiving from money management
The person providing daily care and the person managing funds need not be the same. Consider who will monitor expenses, how a replacement caregiver is selected, and where remaining funds go. Ohio’s statute addresses enforcement and property exceeding the amount needed for the intended use. Funding should reflect realistic costs rather than an unexplained amount.
Keep the plan current
Review the arrangement after a pet dies, a caregiver moves, or care needs change. Include incapacity planning as well as instructions after death, and coordinate any funding with the broader estate plan. Do not assume that a pet can simply be named as an ordinary account beneficiary. Bring the care budget and the proposed people to the planning discussion.
Related Ohio guidance
- Estate Planning After a Major Life Change: When Should You Update Your Documents?
- What Does It Mean to Fund a Revocable Trust in Ohio?
Legal references
Discuss your next step
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