FAQ

Having questions means you’re a good pet parent.

Cotl Plans are unlike anything else available to pet parents today.

General | Account | Plan | Save | Protect | Caretakers

General

  • A Cotl Plan is a comprehensive way to formally plan for what will happen to your pet if you die or get sick or injured and can’t care for them. Cotl Plans have three key features:

    • Plan: Choose your pet’s next caretakers and describe how they should care for your pet.

    • Save: Save money for your pet’s ongoing care needs. Your funds are held by our trusted law firm partner, Booper Legal.

    • Protect: Help make sure your pet is quickly connected to your chosen caretaker if there’s an emergency and enjoy 3rd-party oversight to ensure the money you’ve saved is spent only on your pet.

  • Booper Legal is a North Carolina law firm, run by Cotl’s founder, Sean Valle, that serves as the trustee in the background of your Cotl Plan. Booper Legal is regulated by state laws and NC State Bar rules.

    Booper Legal might sound like a silly name for a law firm, but “Booper” is the nickname of Sean’s dog, Domino. She's perhaps the friendliest dog on Earth--the perfect namesake for a firm dedicated to looking after other pets.

    You can trust that the Booper Legal team takes your pet’s well-being seriously.

  • Cotl Line encompasses the support services included in your Cotl Plan, designed to (1) unite your pet and their caretaker as soon as possible after something happens to you, (2) quickly provide your caretaker funds to care for your pet, and (3) minimize any disruption to your pet’s life.

    Cotl Line includes wallet cards, stickers you can put on the doors of your home or windows of your car (or tank, aquarium, cage, barn…), and a tag with an emergency Cotl phone number for each of your pets that wears a collar or harness. We also recommend you add the Cotl Line number to your pet’s microchip.

    If something happens to you, we can help ensure the caretaker is notified as quickly as possible, knows where the pet is, and has documentation to show they have the legal authority to care for the pet.

  • No – in fact, the best pet parents have both pet insurance and a Cotl Plan for the ultimate peace of mind.

    Pet insurance is a healthcare policy that is unique to each pet. It only pays for specific health expenses (usually with limitations, conditions, and maximums).  You can’t pay for grooming services, enrichment, or lodging with a pet insurance plan.

    A Cotl Plan is a plan–-backed by legal authority–-for who will care for your pet if something happens to you. It gives you the power to decide how your pet will be cared for. It allows you to save money for your pet’s ongoing care, it allows the pet’s caretaker to be reimbursed for those expenses (even the “nice-to-haves”). All the money in your Cotl Plan is yours and sticks around even after you’re gone. Your caretakers will never have to fight for a reimbursement as long as they use the money the way you want.

  • A pet trust is just a legal document. It’s only one part of a Cotl Plan.

    With a basic pet trust, you don’t get all the key benefits of a Cotl Plan, like a streamlined platform to save money for your pet’s care and decide how it’ll be spent, third-party accountability of your caretakers, or our Cotl Line emergency support services. Frankly, a basic pet trust document doesn’t actually do much to protect your pet.

    A Cotl Plan gives you the ultimate peace of mind that you’ve done everything you can to provide the best for your pet, forever.

  • Yes. Wills generally have to go through the probate process, so your pet’s new caretaker will likely have to pay for pet-related expenses out-of-pocket for six months or more. With a Cotl Plan, your pet’s new caretaker can be reimbursed for pet-related expenses quickly and easily.

    If you already have a will, a broader comprehensive trust, or a full trust with a pet trust provision, you can incorporate your Cotl Plan into those documents. Just add the legal provision on the following page as a new paragraph in your will or trust: Cotl Trust and Will Provision.

    You’ll get all the Cotl Line services and third-party oversight you’re probably not getting with your broader estate planning.

  • Cotl Plans are available to any pet parent in the United States.

    All Cotl Plans are structured under North Carolina law, regardless of where you, your pet, or your chosen caretaker lives. North Carolina has clear pet trust laws, which keeps everything streamlined and simple.

    Rest assured, no matter where you live, you’ll have comprehensive protection under a Cotl Plan.

  • Your Cotl Plan lasts your whole life and protects all of the current and future pets you add to your plan. You can add or remove pets over time, and make any updates you want. You get the certainty every pet who joins your family will live a safe, full, happy life now and later.

Account

  • Email us at support@cotl.pet, and we'll send you a form to easily update your plan. In the near future, you'll be able to update your plan right from our website.

  • You can cancel your Cotl Plan at any time and receive a full refund of the funds you've deposited, minus the 5% administrative fee charged by Booper Legal when you deposit funds.

    Email us at support@cotl.pet, and we'll send you a cancellation form. In the near future, you'll be able to update your plan right from our website.

Plan

  • You’ll need about 15 minutes + the following:

    • Your contact info

    • Details about each of your pets, including microchip company and number

    • Consent from and contact information for two caretakers who will take care of your pet. You’ll list your first choice caretaker for each pet and then a backup caretaker in case something happens to the first caretaker.

    • A credit card for the $99 initial fee + monthly subscription fee

    • Your social security number (for taxes and so Booper Legal can set up your plan’s bank account)

    You don’t need money to save for your pet’s ongoing care when you set up your Cotl Plan.

  • After you finish the account setup form, we’ll send two document packets for signature. One packet contains all your Cotl Plan legal documents. You and your chosen caretakers will sign this. The second packet is just for you and contains a W9 tax form we need to provide to banks so Booper Legal can hold your Cotl Plan funds.

    After everyone’s signed, we’ll review everything you've provided, set up your account, and then send you a copy of your fully executed Cotl Plan and a welcome packet.

  • Click here to add the Cotl Line emergency number to your pet’s American Kennel Club (AKC) Reunite microchip. You can also watch this instructional video provided by AKC Reunite.

    If your pet has a different brand of microchip, send us a message and we’ll help you figure out how to add an emergency number to their chip.

    https://youtu.be/BWa_eEwo-EE?feature=shared

  • First, make sure you’ve talked to the rescue and they've agreed to be a caretaker for your pet. Talk to them about their policies for fostering and rehoming pets--especially senior pets. Decide if you want your pet's new owner (if your pet is rehomed) to have access to your Cotl Plan funds.

    Then, you’ll need the name of the individual at the rescue who will sign the Cotl Plan documents, their title, and the nonprofit’s full name, address, and contact email address.

  • No matter what happens, Cotl’s here to support your pets.

    We make it simple to update your Cotl Plan. Email us at support@cotl.pet, and we'll send you a form to easily add or remove pets from your plan, update caretakers’ information, adjust how you’d like your funds to be allocated, or make any other changes.

    In the near future, you'll be able to update your plan right from our website.

  • Your care plan gives caretakers all the information they need to care for your pet the way you would.

    It’s a blank slate for you to share your pet’s care needs (e.g., feeding schedule, medication needs, preferred vet, preferred daycare/boarding/groomer, dietary or health issues, any behavioral information, etc.).

    You can include as much information as you want!

  • No. We’re not responsible for picking a caretaker or physically caring for your pet in any way. If you can’t take care of a pet due to physical injury, illness, or other incapacitation, please coordinate with your caretakers and contact us to discuss if the caretakers will be able to access your Cotl Plan funds. If your caretakers cannot take your pet, please do your best to find the pet another loving home. We suggest searching for pet rescue and adoption groups in your area.

  • It's important to have open and honest conversations with potential caretakers before something happens to you. Only list someone as a caretaker if you trust they will give your pet the love, support, and care your pet deserves.

    When you set up a Cotl Plan, you can also list a backup caretaker for each pet. The backup caretaker can care for your pet (and access your Cotl Plan funds) if the primary caretaker can’t or won’t.

Save

  • There’s a one-time flat fee ($99) to set up your Cotl Plan, and an ongoing monthly subscription fee based on the number of pets in your family ($4.99 for the first pet + $2 per additional pet). The rest is up to you – you can transfer as much money as you want as often as you want to save for your pet’s ongoing care. 

    In the future, we'll offer other ways to help you save and small, affordable life insurance and disability insurance policies you can use to support your pet's care.

  • It’s held in an interest-bearing trust savings account and managed by Booper Legal as the trustee of your Cotl Plan trust agreement. Right now, Booper Legal holds all Cotl trust funds in separate bank accounts at TowneBank. Your money is never commingled with Cotl’s or Booper Legal’s business accounts.

  • You get to decide. You’ll choose one of three options when you set up your Cotl Plan:

    • The remaining money goes to the caretaker who cared for your last alive pet,

    • The remaining money is split up among all caretakers who took care of your pet(s) after you passed away or became incapacitated, or

    • The remaining money is donated to a nonprofit of your choice.

Protect

  • Booper Legal is a licensed North Carolina law firm and serves as the trustee of your Cotl Plan, regardless of where you're located. As a law firm, Booper Legal is required to hold all funds and manage Cotl Plans in accordance with state law and North Carolina state bar regulations.

    Booper Legal will also give you the relevant tax forms you need to file each year. You’ll receive a 1099-INT tax form (like what you get from a bank with a normal savings account) annually.

    If you pass away, the trust itself will be taxed and will file a tax form every year there are funds in the trust. Booper Legal will handle this tax filing—the caretaker doesn’t need to worry about it.

  • You get to choose how your caretakers spend your money. Select any or all of the following:

    • Pet food

    • Veterinary, mediation, and other medical expenses

    • Pet insurance premiums

    • Pet-related property or housing fees

    • Reasonable fees incurred by the caretaker to get to and pick up obtain guardianship of your pet after you or your other chosen caretaker pass away or become too sick to care for your pet

    • Pet euthanasia and death-related expenses

    Caretakers have to submit receipts or invoices to Cotl in order to be reimbursed for expenses related to your pet’s care. We double-check the expense matches the categories you describe in your Cotl Plan. If it does, we reimburse the caretaker.

    Caretakers are also required to submit an annual vet exam report to Cotl so we know the pet is still alive and in their care.

    Having Booper Legal serve as your third-party trustee adds another layer of confidence. The money you saved for your pet will only be spent on your pet.

Caretakers

  • To request reimbursement, email the following information to caretaker@cotl.pet:

    • Your name, the original owner's name, and the pet's name

    • The amount of money you're requesting

    • A short description of the expense (for example: pet food, vet bill, etc.)

    • Copies of your itemized receipts or paid invoices

    We’ll make sure the expense matches the approved categories in the Cotl Plan, and then we’ll reimburse you electronically.

    In the near future, you’ll be able to submit reimbursement requests directly from our website.

  • If the owner becomes incapacitated, hospitalized, or mentally or physically disabled and can no longer care for their pet, we’ll need to receive a physician form from the owner’s doctor. Email us at support@cotl.pet, and we'll send you that form. In the near future, you'll be able to download that form right from our website.

    If the owner passes away, please send a copy of the death certificate to support@cotl.pet.

    We know this can be difficult to talk about, but these types of documentation are essential for us to ensure the best for your pet.

  • Three main things:

    • Verify you have the pet. Every year, you’ll submit an annual health report from a veterinarian to show the pet is still alive and in your care.

    • Love and care for the pet as if it were your family.

    • Submit receipts and invoices for reimbursement.

  • There’s no specific form you need. Just send us the medical exam report from your vet detailing the pet’s annual checkup. You can email this to caretaker@cotl.pet.

  • No. We’re not responsible for physically caring for the pet in any way. If you can’t take care of a pet, please coordinate with the backup caretaker that the pet’s owner listed in the Cotl Plan. If there isn’t one, do your best to find the pet another loving home.

    Either way, please notify us if someone else is taking care of the pet so we can determine how any remaining Cotl Plan funds can be used to support the pet's ongoing care.