As a reward for being our constant companions, in sickness and heath, many pets are now included in their owner’s wills. Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Betty White, along with millions of other pet owners, plan to leave money to their pets. But, without proper planning, the courts could take that money away!

Strange requests in wills are nothing new. People have asked for their ashes to be spread in space or for their bodies to be displayed in a theater. Recently, billionaire Leona Helmsley made news after her death by bequeathing $12 million dollars for the care and upkeep of her dog, Trouble. Opinions varied from outrage to amusement and a legal battle was narrowly averted when a New York court reduced that amount to a mere $2 million.

It is only natural for pet owners to be concerned about the well-being of their four-legged companions, especially if the owner happens to die first. But the unfortunate truth is that many pet owners attempt to leave an inheritance to their pets instead of money. This error could lead to their request not being met by the probate court.

Wanting to leave money for the care of your pets is not a new concept. According to the website, www.animallaw.info, English common law began to recognize pet trusts as far back as 1842. But, pets cannot receive an outright bequest of property (money, house, etc) from a will because animals are considered property themselves. So, leaving money directly to one or all of your pets is not permissible.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hi Dr. Carol,

I was thinking about you the other day, was going to send you a picture of my 2 puppies. Yes I got my Thunder (the shepherd/husky) and brother his name is Jake (lab/shepherd) I also got Jake from the ASPCA. They are doing great.

I miss my boxer dog Buddy so much. I will always be thankful to you so much for how you hung in there with me with my boxer Buddy. Looking back I knew he got sick very fast, and I learned when a dog’s kidney is failing, and you do not catch it when it’s young, little hope for helping. Buddy never showed any signs till he got older, to me he was young only 3. I will never forget the day I finally got him into the vet and they did a blood test and told me. I was shocked, and at the same time I knew something was seriously wrong with him.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hello Dr. Carol,

It is with much sadness I’m contacting you to let you know, Calvin passed away today. I would like to thank you for all the years of good health that he did enjoy.

After we talked and I changed his diet, he was doing well. Unfortunately, Tuesday night, he collapsed on the front lawn. I brought him to the emergency hospital, as it was 11pm,only to find out he had a baseball sized tumor on his spleen. I decided to bring him home and take him to his own vet the following morning. I took him in as soon as they opened and they kept him all morning to run tests. They did an ultrasound and found what I was hoping they would not find. I decided to schedule surgery for the very next morning.

They asked me if I wanted to go home and get him some of his own food, so I did. When I got back there with the food, he was not interested, but I decided to spend some time with him before leaving him for the night. I took him out the side door and it was sunny and we sat in the grass. He looked at me and I knew. His head dropped and I picked him up and carried him back in. I put him on the exam table on a soft blanket and he took his last breath while I held him.

Read the rest of this entry »