The Animal Humane Society (AHS) understands that your pets are true family members – providing love, companionship and joy every day. And, like family, you have pledged to care for them for life. But how can you continue to commit to your beloved pets should the unexpected happen, if you became seriously ill or even if they outlive you?

When trying to find a permanent home for your pet, the best situation is to find a relative or close friend who already knows your pet and is willing and able to care for it for the rest of its life. But AHS understands that this may not always be possible and has developed an alternative to help pet lovers like you.

Loved for Life is a special offering for members of our Legacy Circle who have had the foresight to include AHS in their estate plans.  Building on more than 130 years of animal adoption experience – and expertise – as well as an infrastructure based on providing quality, forever homes for animals in need, AHS will ensure that your beloved pet will always have the lifelong, caring home you have pledged to provide them.

Loved for Life offers the following benefits:

• Legacy Circle members have the opportunity to fill out a Pet Profile to guide the AHS staff in finding an ideal placement, as well as a letter to the new caregiver to go home with the pet’s new family.
• AHS staff will be available to pick the pet up, within the Twin Cities, after the owner passes away.
• Immediately upon arrival, the pet will be examined by our AHS staff veterinarians and behavior experts and will receive medical care, vaccinations and behavior training, as needed.
• Ideally, within 24 hours the pet will be placed into our foster care program and will be cared for in a volunteer’s home until a permanent home can be found. Animals in this program will not be kenneled while awaiting adoption.
• AHS will attempt to place pairs of pets together, but cannot guarantee it will always be possible.
• Selection of a new home is designed to give the Legacy Circle member peace of mind. AHS staff will use a one-on-one counseling process to screen potential adopters using information from the Pet Profile and will follow-up post-adoption to verify the placement is working well.
• The adoptive family will have access to AHS behavior experts throughout the pet’s lifetime for assistance with pet behavior issues that may arise.

The Animal Humane Society will care for each individual pet in accordance with responsible and compassionate ownership practices. That means that AHS might have to make the difficult decision to euthanize a pet if its quality of life becomes severely diminished or if our behavior experts determine that the pet is dangerous. Also, to ease pet overpopulation and increase the likelihood of returning lost pets to their homes, AHS will spay or neuter and microchip all animals adopted through Loved for Life.

Questions?

Give us a call at 763-489-1575 or send us an email.