A cliché

A few days ago work brought to mind an old cliché, if you know old folks in the neighbourhood then keep an eye on them. If you do not see them go and bash on the door.

One old dog whose owner had been found dead 3 months ago after being dead a few days, the dog had been in rescue kennels since was put down as no relatives were found.

There were 2 old dogs whose owner was found dead the other day. The elderly owner had been dead for at least a couple of weeks.
Luckily there was a ripped bag of dog biscuits and a bath full of water, not all animals have this.
The 2 dogs look like brother and sister. RSPCA have said they will take them on but they can not stay together so they are being separated and sent onto different rescue homes. I understand there is no relatives.
After all they have been through l find this awful. They are at least 12years old possibly a bit more. The female gets very stressed without the male. Even if re-homed l doubt they will settle. And as old animals re-homing is in question anyway.
In answer to the question what happens if there is no obvious food. We collect faeces for police forensics. After a few days the animals go to rescue centres.

We had 3 cats brought in as their elderly owner was found dead after about a week or so. The cats will be sent to a rescue home. I think there is an extra one to come from that group but the house was a tip and they could not catch the cat.

Now the unsavoury subject of human death. People seem to think that everyone will know what to do when they go. Well the government takes care of your kids and your money till either the will sorts. And if no will then the court takes care of the arguments, not as you would have wanted but what the hell, you did not want to leave a will so don’t bitch about it.

Animals are forgotten though. All to often the animals are re-homed in a rescue home or in the case of the old pair above, separate rescue homes.

As old animals they will probably be put down without the re-home chance, no one wants old animals. Even if re-homed they may end up on a spiral of re-homing as it is more difficult for them to settle in what will probably be a noisy home with kids. Generally animals like the ones in the post are elderly, owned by the elderly, who have few friends and absent relatives.
Some places keep animals till they die. This to me is cruel, from loving home to a cage until you die because it is too unkind to put you down.
Life in a cage, no soft furniture that you are used to, strangers looking round all the time, a noisy environment, with who knows what for bedding, wire or bars to look out from is worse than death.

The animals can spend several months in an uncomfortable rescue centre while relatives are being traced who may or may not want the animals, assuming anyone remembers to mention them.

A will makes all the difference to what happens to your money, children, home and chattels, all too often people do not think about their pets. They may have been much loved family members no matter if they are cats, dogs, rabbits, fish, birds or whatever but spare a thought about what happens to them when you die.

Leave written instructions with someone so that immediate arrangements can be made. Discuss it with your relatives and friends if you or they have animals. A will can take time to be sorted but your loved animals will be safely cared for in their new home.

You have a voice when you are dead, but you need to speak before you die or no one will hear your voice.