Off Topic: Petsitting Letter

Now that it looks like the legislature is actually done or almost done with business, and staffers can actually think about vacations, let me present the template for a document our family has used for about the past 20 years. When we go away for more than a night or two we have a neighbor look after the cats. Sometimes we hire a college student to house sit but often a teen in the area is anxious for a first paying job and they are usually conscientious and eager to please. An adult who knows us would probably know what to do in case of an emergency, a cat gets sick or gets out of the house and is hit by a car, but a kid is likely to be unprepared for such an event. So, we often leave a letter with the petsitter and send a copy to the vet, spelling out what vet costs we will pre-approve and when we need to be contacted and our wishes in the event of a serious injury.

It is possible I copied it from a printed source somewhere but if so the origins are lost to memory. I don't know if such a document would stand up in court but the vet's staff has always seemed really appreciative when I have sent or taken them this note before we leave.

To Whom It May Concern,

[Names of pet owners] have [number, species], [names of pets], who are patients at [vets office or animal hospital]. From [dates], we will be away and our pets will be in the care of [name, if applicable, give names of teen's parents].

If a medical emergency should occur while we are away we would like it known that we will preauthorize any veterinary care up to the amount of [dollar amount] for each cat. If care should go above that amount we would like to be consulted and [name of petsitter] will know how to reach us.

The quality of life of our pets is important to us and in the event that a veterinarian determines the extent of a cat’s injuries are such that a meaningful recovery is not possible we preauthorize the vet to euthanize the cat.