Leave a gift for a brighter future for companion animals 

This September is Gifts in Wills Month.  If you’re writing your will or updating your existing one, you may wish to leave a gift to Companion Animals New Zealand to help raise the bar for pet welfare across the country. 

Many Kiwi animal lovers choose to include a gift in their Will as a way to invest in a better world than the one they lived in, or to give back to something which is a reflection of their passions and beliefs. 

At Companion Animals NZ, we’re committed to focusing on the positive aspects of animal welfare for New Zealand’s pets and ensuring as many animals as possible have a Good Life. Not just one where they are surviving and having basic needs met, but one where there are many positive experiences.  

We carry out research to help people better understand what positive welfare means, we reunite animals with their families daily via our New Zealand Companion Animal Register which has more than 1.3 million pets registered, and we promote and recognise the highest standards of animal welfare. 

We achieve all this by running community events to improve standards of care, accrediting animal professionals who have high welfare standards, running our own research and reports to improve knowledge, promoting responsible pet ownership with a focus on microchipping and registration and much, much more.

You can read all about our impact in the last year in our latest Annual Impact Report here:  

If you feel aligned to our cause, your gift could have a long-term impact on positive animal Welfare.

How to leave a gift:

  1. Prepare a Will. A Will lets you decide how your assets benefit loved ones and support worthwhile causes. Drafting a Will can be simple and affordable, but we recommend consulting a lawyer to ensure it's valid and clearly outlines your wishes. Review your Will regularly, especially after major life events like marriage, divorce, a child's birth, or property sales. Keep it in a safe, accessible place for your Executor(s). 

  2. Include a gift in your Will. There are three ways of including a gift in your Will. Your legal advisor will clarify for you what best suits your wishes and circumstances:  

    • Residual - remainder of your estate after taking care of your loved ones. 

    • Percentage - a percentage of the value of your estate. 

    • Pecuniary gift: This gift is a specific amount, such as $5,000. 

You can use the following suggested wording to describe your gift in your will:

"I give free of all duties to Companion Animals New Zealand (registered charity: CC27849.) the residue of my estate (or ……………% of my estate for its general purposes and declare that the receipt of the Chair or other authorised officer shall be full and sufficient discharge for my Trustees." 

If you don’t want to leave a gift in your will, but would like other ways to support us, we accept donations too. Contributions are welcome and can be made here: https://companion-animals-nz-donations.raiselysite.com/ or directly below.

Join us in making a more positive future for our companion aninmals. We look forward to sharing back with you the impact your generous donation has made on animal welfare initiatives in New Zealand. 

As part of their commitment to supporting our community, Duncan Cotterill lawyers in Wellington will offer a $100 discount to anyone referred by Companion Animals to make a Will between 1 September and 30 September 2024. If you would like to take advantage of that discount before 30 September 2024, please contact:

Although this offer of support is from Duncan Cotterill lawyers in Wellington, their team provide advice nationally regarding wills

Donate today to positive animal welfare

FAQ

  • You can add a codicil to your existing Will to add a gift to Companion Animals NZ. We recommend you contact your solicitor or a legal expert to make this change.

  • We welcome discussions of this nature, and can chat through what is possible. Email fundraising@companionanimals.nz and we will put you in touch with our A Good Life Centre's Director or General Manager for a conversation.

  • Our charity number is CC27849.

     

  • If you do intend to leave a gift in your Companion Animals NZ, please consider telling us about your gift. Informing us of your wishes doesn't affect your ability to change or update them if circumstances change, but it helps us plan better for the future. The details of your Will are private and secure and not made known us. If you would like to let us know the details of your Will (you don’t need to say the amount) please email fundraising@companionanimals.nz.We would love to thank and acknowledge you and send you special updates on our work.

  • You have the right to change or update your Will at any time, should you change your mind.

Want to speak with someone about our work or leaving a Gift in your Will? Email fundraising@companionanimals.nz.