It’s not pleasant for any of us to think about, but there are times when our pets outlive us and we must ask the difficult question, what will happen to my beloved animal(s) when I am gone?  Hopefully you have family and friends who would step up but we urge you to have this discussion now instead of assuming.  You should also make financial arrangements so that your pet’s needs can be accomodated for the rest of his or her life.  We recently took in a dog named Teddy, a wonderful 12 year old golden retriever mix whose owner died tragically after a long illness.  She wasn’t rich, but she made sure there was money in her will to ensure that Teddy had the best care for anything that might arise in the next few years.  Through a personal connection, ThumpingTails took on the oversight of this situation.  We got Teddy a wonderful new home, we will make sure his medical bills get paid and he will never have to worry about being one of those poor, old, confused dogs who suddenly find themselves in the shelter because their caretaker has passed away.  Please give it some thought.  None of us plans for things to go wrong, but tragedies do happen and we want you to be prepared.