Clowns: delightful or terrifying?
Always terrifying. Especially their shoes.
If her heirs are unhappy, there may not be much they can do. According to slate.com:
If the heirs can't invalidate the will, they might still be able to
get their hands on Trouble's money. If Helmsley provided for the dog
under what's called a "statutory pet trust,"
then a court can rule that some of the $12 million should be
redistributed.
In New York, a statutory pet trust can be challenged if it "substantially exceeds the amount required for the intended use." If a judge decides to shift money out of the trust, it's more likely to end up going to her charitable trust than to her relatives, since that's where the bulk of her property—worth a reputed $2.5 billion—went. On the other hand, if Helmsley set up a traditional pet trust for Trouble, the courts would be less likely to reduce its size.* (Statutory trusts provide more court supervision and can be very easy to draw up, but they're not available everywhere.)
Without a successful challenge, the $12 million trust can easily generate $600,000 a year in income for the dog. But what will happen to the money left over when Trouble finally joins Helmsley and her husband in their million-dollar mausoleum?
We can't know for sure, since the trust (unlike the will) isn't a public document. We do know from the will that the money in the trusts for her grandchildren and brother will go to her charitable trust after they die; the pet trust might be set up in the same way. In the meantime, Trouble joins the ranks of trust-fund pets like Rodeo, a Shar-Pei that received a $100,000 trust from tobacco heiress Doris Duke. British pop star Dusty Springfield provided for her cat Nicholas with a very specific set of instructions in her will. He was to be given baby food, a bed lined with her nightgown, and the opportunity to "marry" another cat. Her songs were also to be played to him each night.
A site that addresses the issue of caring for pets longterm is http://www.estateplanningforpets.org/ It's worth a visit. A quote they display on their home page says, "Many have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You become responsible forever for what you have tamed." —Antoine de Saint-Exupery, from The Little PrinceSomething to think about.
It airs Tuesday, September 4th, 2007.
Thank you, Trouble. Let's do lunch!
Sweet Sally left us last Friday and a sweeter dog never walked the earth. She lived on a farm outside Iowa City with two kind people and two beautiful horses, and had fields to roam in summertime and a big front porch for watching the world between naps.
I visited there a while ago and remember how she loved belly rubs while rolling in the grass. Sally was made for hugging, and she loved being told that she was a good dog. Which she was. She will be missed by many, none more than Sheri and Dick. Goodbye sweet girl.
Well, Chris Miele invited me on another dog adventure! This time she was going to the Nickelodeon studios on west 25th Street to take part in a kids show called ME TV! She had two of her goldens with her, along with a significant amount of agility equipment. And a tornado watch was in the works! Life is always exciting with Chris!
The concept of this show is very cool. The audience can participate with web cams, and can vote and communicate with the hosts live on the air. We spent several hours in the Green Room eating cookies and socializing with the other dog people there.
David Frei of Westminster was a guest host for the show. David is always charming, knowledgable and reassuring. He knows absolutely everything you need to know about dogs. And he gives his time generously to many good causes.
There were a lot of really great dogs in that little room waiting for their turn to shine. Handsome Corgis, an elegant Poodle, two lovable Shar Peis, a brilliant Border Collie, happy beautiful Springers, lively Dalmatians, and of course our two wonderful Goldens, Buck and Dixie.Everyone was quite well-behaved, given the cramped quarters, and a good time was had by all.
Chris ended up closing the show with a dazzling live-tv segment of agility by Buck, the wonder dog!
Here is a short video of life in the Green Room...
On the night of March 23, Poppy, a St. Bernard from East Sussex in England, gave birth to 13 healthy puppies! Here's a link to a video of the happy family.
People Magazine reported in its April 16 issue that Toby, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever, saved his owner's life by performing the Heimlich maneuver. Debbie Parkhurst began choking on a piece of apple and tried desperately to dislodge it, to no avail. Toby awoke from his nap, ran over to her and pushed her down on the floor where he began to jump on her chest. Out came the apple, her life was saved, and Toby was a hero!
It is only fitting since Debbie saved Toby's life after he was found in a dumpster at 4 weeks old. Lucky lady, lucky dog!
What will Goldens think of next?
