Senior citizens face some emotional challenges as they lose loved ones over the years. Loneliness can decrease your quality of life, and it can even result in depression.

The good news is that there is a ready friend available to you as a senior citizen in the form of a dog. If your physical capabilities are a factor there are a number of smaller breeds that are recommended for seniors. These animals have good temperaments and they are quite manageable.

You tend to get outside more as you exercise the dog, so this will naturally be good for your health and improve your mood. Plus, dogs attract dog lovers so you may find yourself engaged in more frequent conversations with others.

And of course the dog itself would be a fine companion.

When you are thinking about getting a dog as a senior citizen you may be convinced about the benefits. The thing that may be holding you back is the thought that you may die before the dog does.

This is a legitimate concern, but you should not let it stop you if you want to bring a pet into your home. You can provide for the dog in your estate plan by creating a pet trust.

You identify the potential caretaker, you name a trustee, and you fund the trust adequately. The trustee administers the funds in accordance with your instructions as recorded in the trust agreement.

If there’s anything left in the trust after the pet dies these funds will go to the beneficiary that you include when you create the trust agreement.

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Ryan M. Denman and Dennis D. Duffy

Duffy Law Office, PLLC