There were a lot of things to admire about Harry Truman.
He never pulled any punches and that's why so many memorable quotes are associated with him.
Most of us are familiar with some of his more serious comments like, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen" and "The buck stops here," but he had a whimsical side too.
He said, for example, "Always be sincere, even if you don't mean it," and "If you can't convince them confuse them.
" My favorite though, and parents will appreciate this, has to do with giving your children advice: "I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.
" But what is most germane to my article is what he said about the special bond between a person and his or her dog.
There are two versions, the best known being: "You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.
" I like the other one better: "You want a friend in life? Get a dog.
" I don't think many would disagree with that sentiment, in fact, I think most of us regard our dogs, or any pet for that matter, as much more than friends.
They are part of our family.
That's why two of the most popular names now for dogs are Max and Jake when, in an earlier time, you'd read about a dog called Spot or watch a truly remarkable dog on TV called Lassie.
I imagine that most of you, particularly if you will be gone for a while, leave your four footed family members at home in the care of a neighbor, a friend or even a professional service.
You wouldn't think of leaving your pet in the care of anyone you didn't trust and even then you call home to see how things are going.
You do that because you love Max, or Jake, or Bella or Lily, yet how many of you have made arrangements for the care of your pet if, through death or disability, you are unable to do so? Now, I know that many of you, maybe most, think this has been worked out.
Your daughter will take in your cat, your neighbor loves your dog.
You are certain your pet will have a loving home when you can no longer provide it.
And, much of the time, things go that way.
But sometimes they don't.
A lot of things can and do go wrong like: 1.
Your daughter marries a man with severe pet allergies 2.
Or she gets a promotion that requires a lot of travel 3.
Your neighbor has to move someplace where pets aren't allowed 4.
Or your neighbor simply can't afford to pay for your pet's needs which, with an older pet, can be significant.
Just think--a whole world gone in a single day! Dogs and cats that have devoted their lives to their owners find themselves alone and caged in animal shelters.
Let me quote from just such a story about two older dogs, Bonita and Bumble, that appeared on the Northcentral Maltese Rescue website on May 15, 2009.
"Bumble and Bonita have a very sad tale to tell.
You see, their owner died and no one in the family loved them enough to want to keep them.
Instead, they took them to a groomer and just never came back for them.
This sweetest little pair were abandoned and left alone with no hope.
The groomer was not much better than the family and gave them to a puppy mill who left them behind the barn to die in an open cage - this went on all through the Virginia winter.
After knowing love all their lives, this was where they ended up.
" There is more to their story-I promise I will finish it-but it underlines the need to have a concrete plan in place for the future of your pets.
Your plan can take many forms.
The simplest is to provide money to a caregiver, someone you trust, to cover the costs you anticipate he or she will face during the life of your pet.
The problem here is that, for good or bad reasons, your money may be diverted.
Facing financial pressure and the choice between paying the deductible on his child's surgery or surgery needed by your pet, what decision do you think your caregiver would make? To prevent that from happening, forty two states have now passed laws specifically authorizing the creation of pet trusts.
California's version can be found at Probate Code Section 15212.
It provides a framework for the administration of the trust and gives independent third parties the right to insure that all funds are devoted to the welfare of your pet.
A trust can be created by a Will but there can be a significant delay before funds are made available.
A better option is to create and fund a living trust in which you and successors are named as trustees.
You retain control over the property in the trust and can augment the trust by a bequest in your Will.
Now, let me finish the story of Bonita and Bumble.
You remember they ended up in an open cage behind a barn throughout a Virginia winter? Their story does not have a happy ending.
They were in foster care when Bumble died of natural causes.
Bonita is blind.
She lost not only her lifelong companion but her eyes.
She is 13 and is still looking for a permanent home.
The story of your pet's life without you has not yet been written.
Won't you act today to sure that it has a happy ending? Contact your attorney or estate planner and discuss whether a pet trust or some other option will guarantee your pet's future.
He never pulled any punches and that's why so many memorable quotes are associated with him.
Most of us are familiar with some of his more serious comments like, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen" and "The buck stops here," but he had a whimsical side too.
He said, for example, "Always be sincere, even if you don't mean it," and "If you can't convince them confuse them.
" My favorite though, and parents will appreciate this, has to do with giving your children advice: "I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.
" But what is most germane to my article is what he said about the special bond between a person and his or her dog.
There are two versions, the best known being: "You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.
" I like the other one better: "You want a friend in life? Get a dog.
" I don't think many would disagree with that sentiment, in fact, I think most of us regard our dogs, or any pet for that matter, as much more than friends.
They are part of our family.
That's why two of the most popular names now for dogs are Max and Jake when, in an earlier time, you'd read about a dog called Spot or watch a truly remarkable dog on TV called Lassie.
I imagine that most of you, particularly if you will be gone for a while, leave your four footed family members at home in the care of a neighbor, a friend or even a professional service.
You wouldn't think of leaving your pet in the care of anyone you didn't trust and even then you call home to see how things are going.
You do that because you love Max, or Jake, or Bella or Lily, yet how many of you have made arrangements for the care of your pet if, through death or disability, you are unable to do so? Now, I know that many of you, maybe most, think this has been worked out.
Your daughter will take in your cat, your neighbor loves your dog.
You are certain your pet will have a loving home when you can no longer provide it.
And, much of the time, things go that way.
But sometimes they don't.
A lot of things can and do go wrong like: 1.
Your daughter marries a man with severe pet allergies 2.
Or she gets a promotion that requires a lot of travel 3.
Your neighbor has to move someplace where pets aren't allowed 4.
Or your neighbor simply can't afford to pay for your pet's needs which, with an older pet, can be significant.
Just think--a whole world gone in a single day! Dogs and cats that have devoted their lives to their owners find themselves alone and caged in animal shelters.
Let me quote from just such a story about two older dogs, Bonita and Bumble, that appeared on the Northcentral Maltese Rescue website on May 15, 2009.
"Bumble and Bonita have a very sad tale to tell.
You see, their owner died and no one in the family loved them enough to want to keep them.
Instead, they took them to a groomer and just never came back for them.
This sweetest little pair were abandoned and left alone with no hope.
The groomer was not much better than the family and gave them to a puppy mill who left them behind the barn to die in an open cage - this went on all through the Virginia winter.
After knowing love all their lives, this was where they ended up.
" There is more to their story-I promise I will finish it-but it underlines the need to have a concrete plan in place for the future of your pets.
Your plan can take many forms.
The simplest is to provide money to a caregiver, someone you trust, to cover the costs you anticipate he or she will face during the life of your pet.
The problem here is that, for good or bad reasons, your money may be diverted.
Facing financial pressure and the choice between paying the deductible on his child's surgery or surgery needed by your pet, what decision do you think your caregiver would make? To prevent that from happening, forty two states have now passed laws specifically authorizing the creation of pet trusts.
California's version can be found at Probate Code Section 15212.
It provides a framework for the administration of the trust and gives independent third parties the right to insure that all funds are devoted to the welfare of your pet.
A trust can be created by a Will but there can be a significant delay before funds are made available.
A better option is to create and fund a living trust in which you and successors are named as trustees.
You retain control over the property in the trust and can augment the trust by a bequest in your Will.
Now, let me finish the story of Bonita and Bumble.
You remember they ended up in an open cage behind a barn throughout a Virginia winter? Their story does not have a happy ending.
They were in foster care when Bumble died of natural causes.
Bonita is blind.
She lost not only her lifelong companion but her eyes.
She is 13 and is still looking for a permanent home.
The story of your pet's life without you has not yet been written.
Won't you act today to sure that it has a happy ending? Contact your attorney or estate planner and discuss whether a pet trust or some other option will guarantee your pet's future.