FAT CATS & LUCKY DOGS: How To Leave (Some Of) Your Estate To Your Pet

Treated like members of the family, pets are increasingly included in their owners wills often much to the dismay of human relatives who find themselves snubbed in favor of the deceased s four-legged best friend. Recently, heiress Gail Posner left a $3-million (all figures U.S.) trust fund and her $8.3-million Miami Beach mansion to her three dogs, Conchita, April Maria and Lucia. (She also left $27-million to her maids, bodyguards and personal trainer.) Her only child, who received $1-million, is challenging the will in court. While eccentric millionaires go to extremes, making sure your pets are cared for after you die is becoming more common. Fat Cats and Lucky Dogs is intended to be a vehicle for sharing information and ideas; for providing guidance to those who would like to explore various possibilities; and for stimulating pet owners to take action while they are able to do so. Planning in advance for a pet s well being if a pet s caretaker becomes incapacitated or they predecease them is essential. Fat Cats and Lucky Dogs addresses this important topic for everyone concerned with a companion animal s care and for all animal lovers and serves to provide this valuable information to all those who want and need it. Barry Seltzer (a practicing lawyer with 30 years experience in the area of estate planning) and Professor of Estate Law Gerry W. Beyer are both animal lovers and hope to encourage as many people as possible who care for pets to ensure they plan and provide for their pet s (and their family s) well being before they are not able to do so for whatever reason.