What to Do with Pets When a Loved One Dies

Every time I show someone our after loss checklist and they see our line item that talks about figuring out care for the remaining pets, they say “YES-what am I supposed to do with their pets now?”

It’s a hard question and one that is tough to address especially if your loved one adored their pets and you or your family are not able to take them into your home.

Here are some ideas on how to find those pets a great home:

1. Post on Next Door– Most neighborhoods in Nashville have an email list or are on the NextDoor app. This is a great place to see if anyone in the area would be willing to accept your loved one’s pet or point you to someone who is.
2. Post on social media- similar to Nextdoor, posting on Facebook or Instagram can give you the exposure to people who are interested.
3. Reach out to shelters– This list contains all no-kill shelters in Nashville and this list also contains a list of shelters and resources for other kids of pets (birds, rabbits, etc). Many of these shelters have taken in pets that are surrendered because their owner passed or could no longer care for the pet.
4. Use adopt a pet – Adopt a pet is a service allows you to own the process of re-homing the pet by posting and reviewing applicants to rehome the pet.
5. Find a foster family– this most likely won’t be a long term solution, but could help buy time until you can find someone to adopt. Many shelters work with families open to fostering and may be able to help place the pet.