Pets in Wills

A man who left his 11 collie dogs to the RSPCA in his will is the focus of a new service by the animal charity. Six of the dogs were sent to the charity's Bryn y Maen centre in Conwy as part of the Home for Life campaign.Fran and Flora have already found new homes but Flo, Susie, Fleur and Flossie are still looking for new owners.
The charity launched the service after discovering around 4,300 pet owners died in Wales every year without making a provision for their pet. The 11 collies were split between two of the charity's re-homing centres and of the six that arrived at Bryn y Maen, two - Fran and Flora - have been re-homed. “The gentleman with the collies wanted the best for his dogs," said centre manager Becky King. "I don't think people are aware of this service but we are keen for people to know it is available, free of charge," she said. "By putting it in their wills that they want the RSPCA to look after their pets it gives an assurance to the owners that their loved animal will be cared for when they are not around to do so. "In many cases, family members are well placed to look after these pets, but some pet owners might not consider the emotional and financial burden that unwanted pets can place on the recently bereaved. "These pressures can often result in further distress for the pet itself." As well as the four collies the centre is also urgently looking for a home for a blind collie dog called Gelert. He spends his days in the centre's office. "He can't be in a kennel as his hearing is his keenest sense because he is blind, and it would be too noisy and scary for him," said Ms King. The centre at Colwyn Bay currently has 30 dogs, 70 cats and 30 smaller animals such as rabbits and ferrets and some wildlife. While cats live up to 16 years old, some pets are more likely to outlive older owners with birds such as macaws and cockatoos living for around 70 years. taken from the BBC.