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 older people and the terminally ill care for their pets, while also giving any pet owner worried about their pet’s future the chance to make lifelong plans for their companion, always in a home-from-home environment.

The Trust’s practical support is there to ensure that people aged 65 or over, or those terminally ill struggling to look after their beloved pets don’t have to give up their pets simply because they need a little help.

The Cinnamon Trust offers many practical ways to care for pets, including:

• Dog walking
• Brushing cats or other long-haired pets
• Changing litter trays
• Taking pets to the vet
• Foster care for pets whose owners are in hospital care

Whilst their practical support is only available to older people and those terminally ill, their forever care planning is open to any pet owner worried about their pet’s lifelong care shall anything happen to them. Making arrangements gives owners immense peace of mind knowing that their pet, no matter their age or medical needs, will always be loved and looked after.

The Cinnamon Trust never uses kennels or catteries. Instead, for pets that come into their care they find new foster families or welcome them in one of their two home-from-home sanctuaries in Cornwall and Devon.

And their care is not just limited to dogs and cats. The Cinnamon Trust also cares for pets such as:

• Hamsters
• Budgies
• Horses
• Alpacas
• Tortoises
• Pigeons
• Sheep

…and many more. They have a saying: ‘If you love them, we do too!’.

What is the Golden Charter and Cinnamon Trust partnership?

We have partnered with The Cinnamon Trust because we want to help people fully plan ahead for the future. Funeral planning is just one part of that.

The Cinnamon Trust has been supporting thousands of owners and their pets with specialised care for over 40 years. Similarly, Golden Charter has spent over 35 years helping more than one million people plan ahead.

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 are beloved family members.

Together we want to ensure that 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 captures all the important information about your pet, such as:

• Unique character
• Diet
• Likes and dislikes
• Routines
• Vet history

Sharing this information ensures that they get to know your pet as well as you do, allowing them to be fully prepared to step in and make the transition as gentle as possible for your pet when the time comes.

Important note

- The Cinnamon Trust requires a Pet Profile to be submitted before they can arrange any care for your pet.

- 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 older people and the terminally ill to keep their pets close

The Cinnamon Trust is there to help older people and the terminally ill care for their pets whenever everyday pet care poses a problem. This is made possible with the help of over 20,000 volunteers across the country who provide compassionate support to a pet owner in their community.

Both owners and volunteers need to go through a registration process. For owners, this gives them the opportunity to share about their circumstances, their pet and the type of support they would like the charity to assist with.

Owners and volunteers are connected based on the type of assistance required as well as a volunteer’s experience and location, ensuring this introduction is nurturing and safe for everyone involved.

Their practical support is there to alleviate the worries of those who struggle to care for their pets due to frailty, reduced mobility, prolonged illness, hospital stays, or the challenges of a terminal illness.

Below, we’ve explained in more detail how The Cinnamon Trust helps if you’re ever struggling to care for your pet for one of these reasons.

Day-to-day practical assistance

Relying on the help of thousands of compassionate volunteers across the country, The Trust can help you care for your companion by:

• Cleaning bird cages
• Walking dogs
• Changing litter trays
• Taking pets to the vet or groomers
• Brushing pets with long hair

By connecting pet owners to local volunteers, The Trust ensures that owners are able to keep their companions close whilst providing their pets the level of care they need and deserve.

For a more detailed list of ways the charity can help, you can contact them directly.

Short-term fostering during hospital stays

If you need to spend some time at the hospital, The Cinnamon Trust can also provide a home-from-home for your pet to be cared for until you can be reunited. The Trust’s volunteers also offer their homes to pets whose owners are facing a spell in hospital.

By carefully matching pets with short-term fosterers, it ensures that pets always have a home-like environment where they are comforted, loved, and kept safe, giving owners the time and reassurance they need to get better.

Where possible, The Cinnamon Trust will arrange visits, updates and photos. This means you’ll stay connected to your pet even if you’re physically apart.

Terminal illness

If you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness, then The Cinnamon Trust will be by your side to help you keep you and your pet together 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.

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 you need practical support while living at the care home, The Trust can arrange volunteers to help, offering hands-on assistance so you can keep your beloved pet by your side.

Terminal illness

If you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness, then The Cinnamon Trust will be by your side to help you keep you and your pet together 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.

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 you need practical support while living at the care home, The Trust can arrange volunteers to help, offering hands-on assistance so you can keep your beloved pet by your side

Loving care when you’re not there

Beyond the day-to-day practical support, The Cinnamon Trust’s Pet Profiling service allows all pet owners to plan for their pet’s future. While it’s particularly reassuring to older people or those terminally ill, the Pet Profiling service is there to offer any pet owner worried about their companion’s future the peace of mind that their pet will always be loved and looked after.

During the Profiling process, you’ll be asked to share important information about your pet’s routine, medical needs, and the little things such as nick names. This allows The Trust to understand the true character of every companion pet as deeply as you do.

It means that in the event of your passing or move into permanent nursing care, they know exactly what to do to make this transition as easy and as stress-free as possible for your beloved pet.

When the time comes, your pet will either be carefully matched with a loving forever fosterer or if more appropriate, by welcoming them into one of their two home-from-home sanctuaries in Devon and Cornwall.

The sanctuary pets have live-in staff to tend to their every need, home-cooked meals, love and fuss at every turn, and the ultimate comfort of a natural home environment, as they were used to. The Cinnamon Trust also always keeps pet families together, preserving their existing bond even as they transition into a new home.

If your pet will be found a new forever family, The Trust will be there to support them covering all costs relating to vet bills and specialist dietary requirements for life, ensuring your companion receives the love and care they deserve. This lifelong commitment serves as reassurance that your pet will always be looked after at the highest standard.

This way 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 forever foster pets, except for annual vaccinations. That means the foster family can focus on your pet without having to worry about vet bills, whilst having the ongoing support from an Animal Welfare Team, regular check-ins and a dedicated emergency line.

How to access The Cinnamon Trust’s services and set up your pet's care

You can set up care for your pet directly with The Cinnamon Trust.

We include information about The Cinnamon Trust along with our plan holder documents, which are sent out to customers after they buy a funeral plan.

Have a look at our web page about The Cinnamon Trust for more information about its services and the support available.

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 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.