In a recent episode of All My Children Wear Fur Coats, Kathy Boyle discussed the importance of pet estate planning and shared how The Golden Project is working to save golden retrievers from shelter life and the threat of euthanasia.
Kathy Boyle is the president and founder of Chapin Hill Advisors, a firm that offers succession, business, estate, and personal planning to family-owned businesses and high net worth families. She is also the founder of The Golden Project, a nonprofit organization that rescues dogs throughout Texas, with a focus on golden retrievers.
Kathy shared the story behind The Golden Project’s origins. In efforts to market a friend’s dog, Beau for adoption, Kathy listed him on social media sites. She was greeted by an overwhelming number of people eager to adopt a golden retriever. Although not all the potential adopters were a perfect fit for the dog in question, Kathy began to carefully document each candidate, with the goal of finding loving homes for dogs in need. Kathy highlighted the advantages of a foster-based rescue model, including the opportunity for socialization and a more accurate understanding of a dog’s unique personality.
Kathy analyzed the underlying issues of dog and cat overpopulation in Texas, where many animals are euthanized due to a lack of resources. She explained that most areas outside major cities are rural and economically disadvantaged, where pet owners often cannot afford spay/neuter procedures. Additionally, a lack of education has contributed to a widespread misunderstanding among dog and cat owners about the importance of sterilization. To emphasize the rapidly escalating nature of the issue, Kathy highlighted striking statistics: two dogs can produce 350,000 offspring in just five years, while two cats can result in 5 million.
When asked about scammers posing as legitimate rescues, Kathy offered a wealth of helpful tips to spot and avoid fraud. She identified a major red flag: organizations that ask for a deposit upfront, before you’ve had the chance to meet the dog. Kathy recommended verifying an organization’s legitimacy by checking their Form 990 on IRS.gov or GuideStar, a user-friendly platform that provides detailed information about tax-exempt entities.
Kathy underlined the importance of pet estate planning. She explained that a pet estate plan has two key components: the financial decision of selecting a trustee who can effectively manage the funds, and the personal decision of selecting an individual and alternates who will provide the highest level of care. It is unwise to assume that a family member or friend will automatically take on the responsibility of caring for your pet after your passing. Therefore, a pet trust provides much greater peace of mind than a typical will.
Follow The Golden Project on Facebook here. If you would like to learn more about Chapin Hill Advisors, please visit ChapinHill.com.
Keep your loved pet in a loving home – Learn more about pet trusts at Act4Pets.org!
