We love our pets in the Lowcountry. According to Charleston County Animal Control, there are 2 pets (dogs and cats) for every person in the tri-county area...that’s a lot of dogs!
What happens to your beloved pet in the event something happens to you? Luckily, Christensen & All, P.A. has the area’s foremost authority on pet law, Apollo Christensen. Apollo is a Bichon Frisé with a nose for pet issues (cats too) and is a real problem solver.
If you have a pet-related legal question, submit it to Apollo using the submission form or call them at 843-971-1199. A human will respond and you can schedule an appointment for you and your owner to ensure that you’re protected.
Taz asked:
Hi Apollo, my name is Taz and I'm a 28-year old Jack Russell Terrier (4 years old in human years). My owner hasn’t been feeding me regularly and I don’t think she’s taking very good care of herself either. I’d feed us both, but I can’t reach the kibble. What can we do to make sure we’re both taken care of?
Apollo says:
Well Taz, it seems that a possible solution would be to set up a guardianship / conservatorship (G & C) for your owner. This approved guardian can then make sure that the owner and you are taken care of. Note that a G & C cannot be established for a pet directly.
Disclaimer: Apollo is a very smart dog and he hangs around the office all day reading legal texts, but he's still a dog. You shouldn't use him as a legal adviser and should seek human legal counsel to address your pet-related issues and questions.
Summer asked:
Dear Apollo, my name is Summer, a white Labrador Retriever. Can I be adequately protected by being mentioned in a Will?
Apollo says:
No. The pitfalls of trying to take care of a pet through a Will include the following:
Disclaimer: Apollo is a very smart dog and he hangs around the office all day reading legal texts, but he's still a dog. You shouldn't use him as a legal adviser and should seek human legal counsel to address your pet-related issues and questions.
Zoe asked:
Hi Apollo, I’m Zoe, a Husky Retriever mix. I’ve heard of something called a “Pet Trust”. Can this protect me if something happens to my owner?
Apollo says:
Yes. A “Pet Trust” is a trust created by the owner which can provide:
Disclaimer: Apollo is a very smart dog and he hangs around the office all day reading legal texts, but he's still a dog. You shouldn't use him as a legal adviser and should seek human legal counsel to address your pet-related issues and questions.