Who will look after your dogs when you're gone?

Yesterday it was revealed that Alexander McQueen, the late British fashion designer, left £50,000 of his reported £16 million estate to his dogs to be looked after in his Will.

The money that McQueen left behind for his beloved dogs is incredibly generous and kind; sadly this it is not something that most people are able to do. Many people worry about what would happen if their dog were to outlive them, which is why Dogs Trust set up the Canine Care Card scheme. It is a fantastic free service that gives you peace of mind, knowing that Dogs Trust will care for your dogs if you pass away before they do.

What would happen if your dog came to Dogs Trust?

If you pass away and have registered as a Canine Care Card holder, we will arrange to bring your dog or dogs to our nearest Rehoming Centre. Once there, they will be examined by our vet and cared for by our dedicated, trained staff.

We will then try to find your dog or dogs new owners whose lifestyle and experience match their needs. Any new owners would be visited at their home and given a thorough briefing in caring for your dog.

How to join the Canine Care Card scheme?

If you decide to become a Canine Care Cardholder, we will issue you with a handy wallet-sized card. It acts in a similar way to an organ donor card and notifies people of your wishes for your dogs, should anything happen to you.

We also strongly recommend that you mention the care of your dog in your Will. That way, there can be no confusion about your wishes. If this is something you wish to do, we suggest that you include the following phrase in your Will: "It is also my wish that Dogs Trust care for or rehome any dogs that I may own at the time of my death".

Find out more

If you would like further information about how Dogs Trust can arrange to take care of your dog in the event of your death, please contact our Supporter Relations team on 020 7837 0006 or contact us by e-mail.

Alternatively, you can download our registration form and simply follow these steps:

1. Complete the registration form found in the link above and return it to us by Freepost so that we can send you your free Canine Care Card.
   


2. Fill in the Canine Care Card when it arrives. It's a wallet size card so you can carry it with you, as you would an organ donor card.
   


3. Leave instructions in your Will confirming that you would like Dogs Trust to look after your dog(s). This is essential to ensure that there will be no confusion about your wishes. The suggested wording is, "It is also my wish that Dogs Trust care for and rehome any dogs I may own at the time of my death."

Whether it’s their likes and dislikes, special dietary requirement or details of medication, please include as much important information as you can give us to help your dog. Once registered, you need never worry about the future of your four-legged friend again.

Give more dogs a brighter future...

McQueen also generously left approximately £400,000 to UK animal welfare charities. Many people who join the Canine Care Card scheme also decide to leave us a gift in their Will, as a way of saying thank you for securing the future of their canine companion. Legacies are crucial to Dogs Trust as they account for over a third of our income and will help to save the lives of countless dogs in the future. You can find out more about legacies on our website.