PETS
around like it,” she says. “It’s like another world out there.
It’s the most quiet, peaceful place I’ve ever seen. I have three
rescue dogs, and they absolutely love it there. I tell people it’s
like heaven for dogs.”
What the Harrisons want people to know is that City Lickers
literally can be heaven for dogs. “City Lickers Lifetime
Caregiver Program is for dogs whose owners have set up a
pet trust fund, so that if they die or become incapacitated,
they can be sure their dogs will be taken care of for the rest
of their lives,” Karen says. “That gives them a lot of comfort,
because these dogs are like family.”
Some people think that making provisions in their wills
will ensure the care of their pets.
“But what happens if they’re just incapacitated and have to
go into a nursing home?” Peter says. “The will isn’t probated
until they die and the pets often wind up at an animal shelter.”
“It’s a sad, sad situation,” Karen says. “It’s estimated that
about 500,000 pets are euthanized annually because their
owners pass away or become incapacitated.”
One trip to a local animal shelter galvanized Karen’s desire
to build City Lickers and provide perpetual care as well as
boarding for family pets. As she passed by a cage that held
a shy and bewildered 9-year-old Labrador, she read the sign
pinned to her cage:
“My owners had to go to a nursing home.”
“She had been someone’s baby all her life, and she had no
idea what was happening to her,” Karen says. “She wouldn’t
even look at me.”
There are major differences between a will and a pet trust.
“People think they have to have a lot of money to do this, but
that’s not the case,” Karen says. “It can be funded with a life
insurance policy or the sale of property.” >>
44
A dachshund wind vane atop the metal
roof of one of the two freestanding kennels
is one of many adornments, such
as portraits of Lassie, dog-faced door
handles and other touches, that make
City Lickers unique.
Karen spends some one-onone
playtime with another
dog named Dexter, who is
boarding at City Lickers.