Golden Charter and The Cinnamon Trust: planning for your pet's future
Who is The Cinnamon Trust and what do they do?
The Cinnamon Trust is the UK’s specialist charity that supports people aged 65 or over, or those in difficult circumstances, to look after their beloved pets.
Whether someone is elderly and struggles with the day to day of pet care, or if a person with a terminal illness is worried about who will look after for their pet when they’re gone, The Cinnamon Trust is on hand to support owners and give their pets the lifelong care they need.
The Cinnamon Trust offers many practical ways to care for pets in the long and short term, including:
- Dog walking
- Changing litter trays
- Taking pets to the vet
- Foster care for pets whose owners are receiving or recovering from medical care
- Rehoming or caring for pets whose owners have passed away
The Cinnamon Trust never uses kennels or catteries. Instead, they provide ‘home from home’ environments with foster families or in one of their sanctuaries.
And their care is not just limited to dogs and cats. In the past, The Cinnamon Trust has cared for:
- Hamsters
- Budgies
- Horses
- Alpacas
- Tortoises
- Sheep
As well as many other kinds of animals. They aim to support any animal that you class as a companion pet. If you love your pet, then so do they.
What is the Golden Charter and Cinnamon Trust partnership?
We have partnered with The Cinnamon Trust because we want to help people more fully plan ahead for their future. Funeral planning is just one part of that.
The Cinnamon Trust has been supporting pets and their owners with specialised care for over 40 years. Similarly, in the more than 35 years since Golden Charter was established, over one million people have chosen to plan ahead with us.
Together, we know a thing or two about giving peace of mind to the people we support - and their families. And as anyone who has a pet knows, pets definitely count as beloved family members. With our and The Cinnamon Trust’s help, not only will your final wishes be taken care of, but so will your furry, feathery, woolly or scaly friend.
How Pet Profiling secures your pet's future
The Cinnamon Trust’s free Pet Profiling Service records all the important information about your pet, such as:
- Unique needs
- Diet
- Likes and dislikes
- Routines
The Cinnamon Trust aims to keep pets and their owners together for as long as possible.
Giving them this information ensures that the charity’s volunteers and carers are fully prepared when your pet needs looking after, whether that’s short or long term.
Important note
- The Cinnamon Trust requires a Pet Profile to be submitted before they can arrange any care for your pet, especially long term care.
- We recommend pairing a Pet Profile with clear instructions left in a will. This will provide legal and practical clarity for executors. For more ideas on how you more fully plan ahead, read our article on End of life planning: How to plan ahead for peace of mind.
How The Cinnamon Trust supports you during illness and care transitions
Our partnership with The Cinnamon Trust supports you during times where you might need assistance in caring for your pets, whether because of:
- Reduced mobility
- Temporary illness
- Recovery periods
- Hospital stays (expected or unexpected)
- Moving to a care home, or
- Terminal illness
Below, we’ve explained in more detail how The Cinnamon Trust helps if you’re ever affected by these situations.
Reduced mobility, temporary illness and recovery periods
The Cinnamon Trust can help look after your pets in many different ways if you’re sick, have reduced mobility or are recovering from an ailment. For example, their volunteers can:
- Feed your pets
- Clean bird cages
- Walk dogs
- Change litter trays
- Take pets to the vet or groomers
- Brush animals with long hair
For a more detailed list of ways the charity can help, you can contact them directly.
Hospital stays
If you need to spend some time at the hospital, The Cinnamon Trust will place your pets in ‘home from home’ short term foster care.
They never use kennels or a cattery, because they want your pet to receive all the love and attention they’ll need until they can see you again.
This is why their Pet Profiling Service is so important: it ensures your pet is placed with the best suited foster carer.
Where possible, The Cinnamon Trust will arrange visits, updates, photos and letters. This means you’ll stay connected to your pet even if you’re physically apart.
Moving to a care home
The Cinnamon Trust keeps a list of care homes that are happy to accept new residents along with their pets.
If a care home doesn’t allow pets, then the charity will make sure that your companion is placed with a suitable forever foster home. Otherwise, your pet will be given a place in one of The Cinnamon Trust’s two sanctuaries.
Terminal illness
If you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness, then The Cinnamon Trust will keep you together with your pet for as long as possible.
All the help and care listed above will be available to you for day to day support and during hospital stays.
When the time comes, your Pet Profile will be used to give your pet the best matched forever foster home. Otherwise, your pet will be cared for in one of The Cinnamon Trust’s two sanctuaries.
You can have the peace of mind that your pet will be looked after with all the care and love you would want for them.
Important note
The Cinnamon Trust covers all vet bills for foster animals, except for annual vaccinations. That means the foster family can focus on your pet without having to worry about vet bills.
How to access The Cinnamon Trust’s services and set up your pet's care
When you take out a funeral plan with Golden Charter, you can set up care for your pet by using the information included in your membership pack.
Your membership pack is sent to you a few days after you set up your plan. It contains all your plan paperwork, as well as information on The Cinnamon Trust.
We also have a page on our website dedicated to The Cinnamon Trust, so you can find all the information you need from there.
You can activate the free Pet Profiling Service directly with the charity by using the methods above.
Remember
The Cinnamon Trust offers pet support to owners aged 65+ and individuals who are terminally ill, no matter their age. This applies to the whole household, not just the pet owner.
How can you get involved with The Cinnamon Trust?
Golden Charter and The Cinnamon Trust both have the same goal: to protect the relationships that matter the most.
Whether that’s giving peace of mind to your family with a pre-paid funeral plan or easing your own worries about who will look after your pet when you’re gone, we’re here to help.
If you or a family member is interested in pre-paid funeral planning, you can check out our range of plans on our funeral planning page.
If you want to learn more about protecting your pets after you’re gone, click on our dedicated web page on The Cinnamon Trust for more information.
You can also support The Cinnamon Trust as a volunteer – our web page will tell you more.
For care, support and guidance, look no further. We’re here when you need us.
