Plan for your pet’s future with HSTB’s Pet Guardianship Program, designed to help ensure loving, compassionate care if your pet outlives you.
Your pets are part of your family. If your pet outlives you, they depend on the decisions you make now about their future care.
Through the Humane Society of Tampa Bay’s Pet Guardianship Program, you can have peace of mind that your pet will continue to receive loving, compassionate care if you are no longer able to care for them. HSTB will provide expert medical care and companionship at the shelter with the goal of placing pets in a loving home within HSTB’s adoption policies.
- You have no family member or friend who could take your pet long-term
- You want your wishes documented rather than left to interpretation
- You're already updating your will, trust, or beneficiary designations
- You want to support the shelter that will care for your pet
- You have pets of any age — enrollment isn't limited to seniors
Complete the agreement: Fill out the Pet Guardianship Program agreement.
Include HSTB as beneficiary: If you have not already, include Humane Society of Tampa Bay as a beneficiary in your will or trust, life insurance policy, IRA, 401(k), donor-advised fund, or other account.
Specify care instructions: State in your will or trust that your pet or pets are to be entrusted to HSTB.
Complete pet profiles: Fill out a Pet Profile for each pet and update it whenever health, veterinarian, household, or pet status changes.
Send documentation: Mail or email copies of all documentation to HSTB using the program contact information.
Designate a helper: Ask a friend, relative, neighbor, or executor to bring your pet to HSTB and call (813) 876-4150 in advance.
Program note: HSTB guarantees the care of your pet until a permanent home can be found and for as long as finding the right home may take. In rare and extreme circumstances where an animal is severely ill and suffering or is displaying irreversible aggression making it unsafe to rehome them, HSTB will proceed with humane euthanasia.
Peace of Mind
Document a clear plan so your pet can receive care if you are no longer able to provide it.
Care and Companionship
HSTB will provide shelter care, expert medical care, and companionship while seeking an appropriate home.
Updated Pet Profiles
Pet Profiles help HSTB understand each pet's needs, routines, health, and personality.
If you have questions or would like to set up an appointment in person or by phone, contact Chief Development Officer Ornella Varchi.
Start with the Program Agreement, then complete a Dog or Cat Pet Profile for each pet you want to enroll.
Humane Society of Tampa Bay
Attn: Advancement
3607 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa, FL 33607
Humane Society of Tampa Bay
Tax ID (EIN): 59-0799907
The source page asks for HSTB to be named as a beneficiary in your will/trust, life insurance policy, IRA, or similar account. If you would like the cost of care to be covered in a new home, HSTB asks for a minimum provision of $10,000 per pet. Please consult your attorney or financial advisor.