Home North Star Pet Assistance Donate Planned GivingGUIDELINES ON BEQUEATHING PETS Printable BrochureOccasionally friends of North Star Pet Assistance who choose to make charitable contributions by bequest also ask about the possibility of entrusting their pet(s) into our care after their death. While our first recommendation is to identify a trusted and willing friend or family member to care for your pet after your death, we recognize that this alternative is not always available. Therefore, the board of North Star Pet Assistance has adopted the following guidelines to help pet owners as they prepare their wills and consider their charitable giving. INTRODUCTION North Star Pet Assistance has always had, and continues to have, a “no-kill” philosophy which ensures that no healthy, adoptable animal is ever euthanized. We pride ourselves on the fact that we run an ethical and honest organization that cares about every pet as if he/she were our own. We appreciate every dollar and take careful consideration as to how donations should be spent. We know what kind of homes we want our pets to go to when we are gone and those are the same types of homes we will find for your pets. We know that they have been loved and cared for by you. They have been a part of the family and a loyal companion. They deserve nothing less than that same environment until their time comes to reunite with you. You can put your mind to rest that we will hand select a proper home and will always accept any pet that needs to come back. We feel that perpetual kenneling is not a suitable fate for an animal that has been living in a home. Pets are accepted by North Star Pet Assistance with the understanding that every effort will be made to place the animal in a new home as quickly as possible. The Center’s model adoption program is known for its commitment to do everything possible to match a pet’s personality and physical requirements with an adoptive family’s lifestyle, needs and space. POLICY Because we are continually faced with an inexhaustible supply of orphaned animals needing new homes through our adoption program, owners wishing to surrender their pets generally must wait a few months before space is available. In recognition of donors who make charitable bequests or provide irrevocable trusts to North Star Pet Assistance, we will waive the usual waiting period, providing that pets meet our general adoption criteria. For the benefit of all pets taken into the pet placement program, it is important that charitable bequest donors who wish to leave their pets to North Star Pet Assistance follow a few essential guidelines: 1. North Star Pet Assistance's adoption program is limited to cats and dogs. 2. Be sure that your pet is current on all of its required vaccinations and have veterinary records kept with your other important papers. Each animal we offer for adoption must be in excellent health and neutered/spayed before going to a new home. 3. We can provide for physical examinations, vaccinations and neutering/spaying for our adoptable animals, but to keep costs down for both North Star Pet Assistance and the adoptive family, you are urged to take care of these requirements before your pet comes into the program. **For more expedient adoptions, animals should be in
stable health with no chronic It is our belief that dogs and cats belong in a loving home and not in a kennel. Therefore, all animals bequeathed to North Star Pet Assistance will be put up for adoption. Rest assured, North Star Pet Assistance’s Adoptions Program goes the extra distance to match a pet’s temperament and requirements with an adoptive family’s lifestyle. Animals who are taken from their own homes sometimes suffer from stress and anxiety. We will make every effort to alleviate these problems through personal attention, grooming, exercise and socialization techniques. In every instance, North Star Pet Assistance considers what is best for the animals. For this reason, we will keep animals only as long as they are physically and mentally healthy. If the animal(s) start to significantly deteriorate in body or spirit, euthanasia must be considered. This happens very rarely at North Star Pet Assistance. Last year more than 75 animals were placed through our adoption program which represents a 99% placement rate. The decision to put an animal to sleep rests solely with the Board of North Star Pet Assistance. BEQUEST COMMITMENTAs a non-profit organization, North Star Pet Assistance must continually seek donations to fund its current humane programs. Costs to shelter, feed, groom, and provide medical care for the orphaned animals in our care are substantial. Therefore it is necessary that charitable bequest donors make the following financial provisions in order for us to accept their pets: Dogs and cats under three years of age - $2,500 per animal Dogs and cats three to six years old - $5,000 per animal Dogs and cats over six years of age - $10,000 per animal Pets with special medical or behavioral requirements will require an additional donation. PROCEDURES North Star Pet Assistance’s adoption program is not one where animals are simply placed in the first available home. Every step is taken to ensure that each adoption is a permanent match. If you wish to bequeath your dog or cat to North Star Pet Assistance, please take care to complete the following steps to ensure your pet’s smooth and successful transition into a new situation. 1. Ask your attorney to state specifically in your will that you wish to entrust your pet to North Star Pet Assistance’s adoption program. 2. Inform the executor of your estate, family members, and/or friends that you wish to have your pet cared for by North Star Pet Assistance so that the transfer of your pet can be accomplished as soon as possible. 3. Complete the Surrender Questionnaire form, available by snail mail or online HERE (dogs) and HERE (cats). This form provides North Star Pet Assistance with important information about your pet’s name, medical history, lifestyle, preferences, and behavioral characteristics that will help us find the best possible match with a new family. 4. Ask your attorney to incorporate into your will the following suggested language for making a charitable contribution to North Star Pet Assistance. Your gift may be unrestricted, or designated to the adoption program, or any other program that interests you. I give to North Star Pet Assistance, a non-profit, California corporation, currently located at ______Please call us or email for a physical address__________, the sum of _____ dollars (or, if insurance policies, land or other property, please describe). This gift is unrestricted, and may be designated at the discretion of the board of directors. -OR- This gift is restricted for the adoption program (or specify other program, ask us for a list). It is North Star Pet Assistance’s policy to assess a 10% overhead recovery fee to all bequests made to the organization (this is charged against the actual bequest and is not an extra charge.) NOTE: If you wish to restrict the gift to a program or service, please do not be overly specific, as some programs change in response to current needs. 5. When your will and Surrender Questionnaire are complete, please notify the Center in writing of your plans. It will help us to better serve you if you include a copy of the Surrender Questionnaire with your letter. This will assure that we have current information about your pet on file when he/she comes to us. Please direct your correspondence to: Gina Downey, Director , North Star Pet Assistance P. O. 1292 Apple Valley, CA 92307 If you have questions or would like additional information on charitable giving by bequest, or on the our adoption program, please call (760) 963-1634 or email Thank you for thinking of North Star Pet Assistance!
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