“They are just like family, I don’t have kids myself yet, but my dogs are my children.
“Cruz and Gigi are like thick as thieves, I think cause Frenchies tend to stick together … Khloe is about 13 now, even though she doesn’t act like it.”
Weitz said he had set up the will in a way that his dogs would go to live with nominated family.
“I think it’s important to choose someone obviously that you trust, someone who you know the dogs get on really well with.”
Weitz said he had also set money aside in his will for future food, vet bills and toys for them.
“Having it in place just makes me feel so much relief.”
He said there were many ways to include pets in wills and knew of someone who had organised for a “right of personal residence” for a person they knew to stay in their house until the time that their animals died.
Public Trust chief executive Glenys Talivai said New Zealanders’ planning for their pets was largely confined to their own lifetime.
She said this showed up in how few people included their pets in their wills.
“While we invest in their day-to-day wellbeing, most people still haven’t made clear plans for what would happen to their pets when they die.
“Nearly half of adult Kiwis don’t have a will, leaving uncertainty not just for your loved ones, but for the animals that depend on you.”
Research from 2025 shows 57% of adults in the Lower North Island (including Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki and Manawatū-Wanganui) had a will.
This is slightly higher than the national average of around 50%.
“Wills don’t go unwritten because people don’t care. For a lot of people, it’s the opposite. We care deeply about our families, including pets, and that’s why it gets put off. It can feel overwhelming.
“Many people think they’ll outlive their pets. But with around half of over-65 households owning a companion animal, it’s something we shouldn’t overlook.”
She said there was also a common assumption that a friend or family member would take on the pet when the owner dies.
In New Zealand, pets are treated as property under the law, Talivai said.
“While they can’t inherit directly, owners can nominate a trusted person to care for them and leave funds for their care in a will and set out how they’d like them looked after through a statement of wishes.
“Even small details, like noting down their diet, medication, the treats they love, and daily routines, can make a big difference to an animal’s wellbeing.”
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.