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Including a pet in your Will: choosing a guardian and leaving funds for their care

Published 17 September 2026 · 4 min read

Under the law of England and Wales, a pet is treated as personal property, in the same legal category as furniture or a car. That comes as a surprise to a lot of people, since for most owners, a pet is family. It also means a pet cannot inherit money or property directly, however much you might wish otherwise. What your Will can do instead is make sure someone you trust is both willing and able to take over their care.

Why this needs planning rather than assumption

Without any instructions in your Will, a pet simply forms part of your residuary estate. It could be taken on by whoever inherits, rehomed by your Executors, or in the worst case end up in a rescue centre if no one is in a position to take them on. Even if you have told a friend or relative informally that you would like them to take your pet, they are not legally bound to do so, however good their intentions, unless your Will actually sets out an arrangement.

Naming a guardian

The starting point is naming a specific person willing to take on your pet, and it is worth naming a backup in case your first choice is unable to when the time comes. It is also worth actually discussing this with the person in advance, rather than naming them as a surprise, so you know they are genuinely willing and able to take on the responsibility.

Leaving funds for ongoing care

A guardian taking on a pet is taking on a real ongoing cost: food, veterinary care, insurance, and potentially years of commitment depending on the animal’s age and species. Many people leave a specific cash gift alongside naming a guardian, to help cover these costs. The right amount depends heavily on the animal, its age, and its likely lifespan, but a cash gift in the region of a few thousand pounds is a reasonable starting point for a typical cat or dog, and larger or more specialist animals may need considerably more thought.

You can also make the cash gift conditional on the person actually taking on the pet, so the money and the responsibility are tied together rather than the gift being paid regardless of whether they follow through.

Covering a pet you get after writing your Will

If your Will only names a specific current pet, it will not automatically extend to any animal you acquire afterwards. Wording your Will to cover “any pets I own at my death,” rather than naming one animal specifically, avoids the need to update your Will every time your circumstances change.

Keep care details somewhere accessible, not just in the Will

Your Will becomes part of the public probate record and is not usually the right place for detailed day-to-day care instructions: diet, medication, routine, vet contact details. A letter of wishes, or a simple, clearly labelled document kept somewhere your Executor and guardian both know about, works better for this kind of practical detail, and is far easier to update as circumstances change than the Will itself.

Acting quickly matters

Pets cannot wait for probate. A dog left alone can become distressed within hours, and any animal needs food, water and attention long before an estate is formally administered. Make sure your Executor and your named guardian both know a pet exists, and that they know where to find any care instructions, rather than leaving this information solely inside your Will.

Common questions about pets and Wills

Setting this up with Willow

When you write your Will with Willow, you can name a guardian for your pets, leave a cash gift toward their care, and word the gift so it covers any pet you own at the time of your death, not just the one you have today.

This guide sets out general information about pets and Wills in England and Wales. It is not legal advice, and the right arrangement for your own pet depends on your circumstances.