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Liza had been working on “An Act Relative to Trusts for the Care of Animals” for two years by the time the bill was signed into Massachusetts law on January 7, 2011.  The new pet trust law will allow owners to establish an enforceable trust for the benefit of one or more of the owner’s animals.  Previous to the passage of this bill, such trusts were not enforceable by law and a pet owner had no way of being sure the terms of the trust would be carried out after the owner passed away.

Liza’s involvement with the bill stemmed from a friendship and previous volunteer work with Kara Holmquist, the Director of Advocacy at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA).  Ms. Holmquist put together a small group of trusts and estates attorneys to draft a pet trust bill, which was sponsored by Representative Kafka and submitted to the legislature in January 2009.

In the fall of 2009, Liza gave testimony in front of the Judiciary Committee in support of the bill.  The bill was reported out favorably by Judiciary Committee in March of 2010.  The House passed the bill in early summer and finally, the Senate passed it on December 27, 2010.  Governor Deval Patrick signed the bill into law on January 7, 2011.

The new law is a good way for owners to provide care for their animals via their estate plans and it helps safeguard against such animals unnecessarily winding up in shelters after their owner has passed away.