A pet care plan that gives you peace of mind about your pet’s future.
Your pet depends on you for everything. But if something unexpected happened to you tomorrow, would your pet be looked after the way you would want?
PetPact® is a pet care plan that allows you to name an animal guardian, record your pet’s needs and preferences and set out clear instructions for their ongoing care. It is a simple, practical document designed to sit alongside your Will and give the people around you everything they need to step in without confusion or delay.
PetPact was developed at Roche Legal and is now operated by PetPact Limited, a separate company. It isn’t a Roche Legal service.
About PetPact
Under the law in England and Wales, pets are classified as personal property. They cannot inherit money and they have no automatic right to be cared for by a particular person after their owner dies or becomes unable to look after them. Without clear instructions in place, decisions about your pet’s future are left to your executors, your family or, in the worst case, to chance.
A verbal agreement with a friend or family member is not enough. Circumstances change, and without a written record of your wishes, there is no guarantee that your pet will end up with the person you would choose or be cared for in the way you would want.
Research conducted by Censuswide on behalf of the Association of Lifetime Lawyers found that 59% of UK adults over 30 were unaware that pets are considered assets in an estate. The same research found that only 26% of pet owners over 30 had made any plans for what would happen to their pets after their death.
A pet care plan fills this gap. It records your wishes formally, names your chosen pet guardian and provides the practical information that person will need to care for your pet properly from day one.
Wills and Estate Planning
PetPact® is designed to work alongside your Will, not replace it. A PetPact records your wishes. It isn’t a binding legal instrument. While your Will can include a clause naming the person you would like to care for your pet and leaving them a sum of money to cover costs, it does not typically include the practical detail your guardian will need on a day-to-day basis.
Your PetPact® fills that gap. It provides the care instructions, veterinary details and routine information that your Will is not designed to hold.
If you do not yet have a Will, or if your current Will does not include any provision for your pet, our Wills team can help you put the right arrangements in place. Where appropriate, we can also advise on setting up a trust for your pet’s care, managed by trustees to make sure funds are used specifically for your pet’s benefit. Our trusts and tax planning team can provide guidance on how to structure this.
For pet owners who may also need to think about Powers of Attorney, it is worth considering who would look after your pet if you lost capacity during your lifetime, not just after your death. Your PetPact® and your Power of Attorney work together to cover both scenarios.
PetPact Service
You choose a pet guardian, record your pet’s needs, routines and veterinary details, and your completed PetPact® is stored securely with a copy for you and your guardian. It’s completed entirely online — no appointment needed.
Quick, affordable and practical
The process takes a few minutes and is completed entirely online. There is no need to book an appointment or instruct a solicitor unless you choose to incorporate PetPact into a wider Will or estate plan.
Designed to sit alongside your Will
PetPact® works as a companion document to your Will, providing the practical detail that a Will cannot hold. Together, they give your family and your chosen guardian a complete picture of your wishes.
Pets and the law
Under the law of England and Wales, pets are still classed as property rather than dependants. We think that's out of step with how people actually live, and we're working with government and policy bodies to see the law recognise the place animals hold in our families. PetPact was our first step towards that. It's now a separate business — but the wider work continues here.
Your Questions Asked
PetPact® is a pet care plan that allows you to name a pet guardian, record your pet’s care needs and preferences and set out your wishes for their future. It is designed to sit alongside your Will and provide the practical information your guardian will need to care for your pet properly.
PetPact was developed at Roche Legal and is now operated by PetPact Limited, a separate company.
No. PetPact® is a clear, written record of your wishes — it isn’t a legally binding contract. It’s designed to work alongside your Will, which is where binding provision for your pet can be made.
If you would like binding provision for your pet — a legacy to your chosen guardian, or a trust for your pet’s care managed by trustees — our Wills team can help with that separately.
PetPact® can be used for any pet, from dogs and cats to rabbits, reptiles, birds and beyond. Each PetPact covers up to three pets.
If you have more than three pets, you can purchase an additional PetPact® to cover the rest. The PetPact team can advise on the best approach for your situation — get in touch via petpact.com.
Yes. The Couples PetPact® is designed for joint pet owners who want to make a shared plan. It is suitable for couples, housemates or friends who share responsibility for a pet and want to agree on what should happen in different circumstances.
No. PetPact® is designed to be completed without legal help. It takes a few minutes and can be done entirely online at PetPact.com. If you would like your pet care arrangements to be incorporated into your Will or if you need advice on setting up a trust for your pet’s care, Roche Legal can help with that separately.
A pet guardian is the person you choose to take care of your pet if you are no longer able to. Under UK law, pets cannot be left to a “guardian” in the legal sense used for children, because pets are classified as property. PetPact® uses the term pet guardian to describe the person you have chosen and recorded as the intended carer for your pet.
An animal guardian is another term for a pet guardian. It refers to the person you nominate to care for your pet if something happens to you. PetPact® allows you to name both a primary animal guardian and a backup, so your pet is always covered.
Yes. Life changes, and your PetPact should be reviewed whenever your circumstances change. This could include getting a new pet, a change of guardian or a move to a new address. You can update your PetPact® at any time by creating a new one.
Resources
Explore our guides on Wills, Probate, Power of Attorney, Trusts, and Tax Planning.
See the previous cases we have helped clients with and our approach.
Discover how legal changes could impact you. Explore our blog for the latest insights and updates.
