Beverly Means, LMSW, Founder and Executive Director of Transitions Pet Care

This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert.com and Maddie's Fund. Turning her perspective around on being a single pet caretaker inspired Beverly Means to think about what kinds of help she would want if she could no longer care for her pets due to terminal illness or an end-of-life event. After looking for options in her community, Beverly saw the need for supportive services around this common problem, and Transitions Pet Care was created. Offering services from estate planning to rehoming options, and even supportive pet care in Decatur, GA, Transitions Pet Care is a 501(c)3 foster-based rescue. TPC serves a population of elderly, health-compromised, or terminally ill people and their pets. Stacy and Beverly discuss estate planning with our animal companions in mind. Beverly outlines options from a formal and legally-binding Pet Trust to an informal written plan including care details, veterinary info, and the pet's own preferences. She emphasizes the importance of planning for animal companions, especially with multiple pets or even a colony of community cats on your property. "It doesn't take that long to have the conversation, to write it down, and to share it with the person who may be managing that," she advises. As a trained social worker Beverly is uniquely prepared for navigating the emotional hardships that come with this work and she believes in preparing volunteers of the program for the loss and grief that comes with helping the population they serve. "At the end of the day, it's about helping people take care of their pets in a way that helps them keep their pets and keep that pet healthy." Learn more about Transitions Pet Care by visiting them online, or by following them on Instagram.