This is the story of a woman who left her home to her pet dog after she died from lung cancer.
It's also the story of a growing trend nationwide of providing care and housing for pets when their owners die.
The Washington State University donor's instructions were clear. When the dog, a Chihuahua, died, the home and lot were to become property of WSU's veterinary college. She'd never been to WSU or Pullman, and she was not a veterinarian. If memory serves me, she had a veterinarian on the west side of the state that was a WSU alumnus, so perhaps that's how the link was made.
It was all so silly to a few people at the time, which was many years ago now. "Geez, leaving a house to a dog?" they'd say. There was also a provision in the will for a caretaker to either live with the lonely little pooch or to drop by three times a day at specific times and provide food, water and companionship.
Today, though, things have changed, and many people are starting to think about what happens to their pets if they die. The latest data from the Securian Financial Group shows 56 percent of people have no such plan in place, 33 percent have a verbal agreement of sorts and 11 percent have put their desires in writing.
Some may remember Leona Helmsley, a rich witch of a woman who made her fortune in New York hospitality, real estate and the hides of the little people. She left $12 million for her Maltese (named Trouble), but a judge later cut that back to only $2 million, saying $12 million seemed excessive. Hmm.
Financial advisers have now taken the lead and are learning more about how to advise clients. Their first recommendation is it is not a matter of simply adding up food and veterinary costs. They say selecting the right caretaker is vital.
Christina Gustin, a wealth adviser with UBS in San Diego, was quoted recently in a piece written by Margarida Correia for the Financial Planning section of Bank Investment Consultant. Gustin encourages her clients to talk to potential candidates and make sure they want the job.
"The last thing you want is your pet to end up in the hands of someone who doesn't want the job or has never cared for an animal before," she said.
She also advises her clients to talk to them about the financial arrangements they've made, saying that "might help them feel much more relaxed about being their pet's caregiver."
Detail is important. Estate attorneys say to begin with complete, accurate and redundant identification of the pet. Debra Vella, an estate planning attorney with Vella Law in San Diego, told Correia, "All black cats look like black cats. If you got a bunch of money that's set aside for this particular black cat, you want to make sure that whoever is taking care of the cat isn't substituting in new black cats over time to keep the money flowing."
If the money is big enough, people can do stupid things. A DNA profile may be another way to protect one's wishes.
Some experts are recommending an animal care panel. This would be a group of veterinarians and professionals who check in randomly on the pet and the caregiver to ensure the deceased's wishes for the animal are being followed.
Over the years, several people have called, wanting information. I typically refer them first to the ASPCA's Pet Trust Primer as a good starting point. You can find it here: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-planning/pet-trust-primer.
Charlie Powell is the public information officer for the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, which provides this column as a community service. For questions or concerns about animals you'd like to read about, email cpowell@vetmed.wsu.edu.
