For many people, pets are considered family members. Some people even choose to include their pets along with (or even instead of) their children in their estate plans, leaving money to make sure that their beloved pets are well cared for even after their death.

US law does not allow animals to inherit money directly, but a Trust can be created to hold money for the animal’s care and welfare after the death of its owner. In that situation, a Trustee is chosen to make sure that the funds are actually spent on dog food and vet visits rather than caviar and champagne for the dog’s new guardian.

For those of us who don’t have the funds to set up an individual, self-sustaining pet trust but still want to make sure that our pets aren’t carted off to the kennel, there are options like the Perpetual Pet Care Program from Kansas State University’s Veterinary Health Center. For a $25,000 payment (via Will, Trust, or cash gift) to the Kansas State University Foundation’s Perpetual Pet Care Fund, KSU will provide medical care to your pet for its entire life and even find a guardian for the pet, if necessary, from their network of pet foster parents. If the animal dies before the $25k is depleted, the remaining money is used to benefit the KSU Veterinary Health Center.

Whether you think it’s touching, ridiculous, or even wasteful to leave a large sum of money to an animal, it can be fun to imagine how these pampered pets might spend their inheritance if it were up to them. Here are five rich and famous individuals who left their pets buckets of money when they kicked the bucket:

Dusty Springfield - Nicholas the Cat

The “Son of a Preacher Man” songstress left detailed provisions in her Will pertaining to the care of her cat, Nicholas. Dusty wanted to make sure that Nicholas was kept in the lifestyle to which he had become accustomed - which in this case included being fed a specific brand of baby food that had to be imported to the UK from America. Dusty’s Will went on to say that Nicholas was to live in a specially constructed seven-foot indoor tree house, and sleep on the nightgown and pillowcase from Dusty’s deathbed. She also wanted to make sure the cat had a stereo system so that he could listen to her songs and remember her.

Leona Helmsley - Trouble the Maltese

Leona Helmsley may have been “The Queen of Mean” but the infamously icy widow of New York City Real Estate Tycoon and Palace Hotel owner Harry Helmsley did have a soft spot for “Trouble,” her Maltese dog. Trouble wore a diamond collar, and had his meals prepared by a 5-Star chef from one of the Helmsley’s many hotels. In her Will, Leona disinherited her grandchildren but left Trouble $12 million , later reduced to $2 million after Leona’s heirs protested in Court. Sadly, Trouble died in 2011, but the headlines generated by the millionaire dog will live in infamy.

Countess Karlotta Liebenstein - Gunther the German Shepherd (III-IV)

A wealthy German Countess, Karlotta Liebenstein, left around $100 million to her dog, Gunther III, in 1991. When Gunther III passed away, the money went to Gunther IV, a puppy who was Gunther III’s oldest son. Gunther IV’s fortune has earned dividends over the years, and has grown to well over $400 million today. Through his Trustees, Gunther is the owner of a multi-million dollar luxury real estate portfolio and has even been seen with his handlers buying rare truffles at auction in Italy. Gunther has a full staff that caters to his every need, including a full time bodyguard, presumably to make sure that nobody gets too close to his food dish.

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry - Multiple dogs, names unknown

The widow of Star trek creator Gene Roddenberry made sure that her dogs were provided for after she was beamed up to the afterlife. Majel left instructions that her dogs should remain in her mansion after she died, and she set aside $4 million to pay for them to live long and prosper. She also left $1 million for one of her employees as payment for serving as the dog’s caretaker.

Karl Lagerfeld- Choupette the Cat

Karl Lagerfeld was the creative director for Chanel, and had been one of the biggest names in the fashion industry for decades when he died in 2019. The famously eccentric designer never married, but he was quoted saying that he wished he could marry his beloved Birman cat Choupette (Choupette means “sweetie” in French). During Karl’s lifetime, he spared no expense to make sure that Choupette shared his life of luxury. Choupette enjoyed private maids that brushed her 4 times a day, snacked on caviar, and dined on the finest French pate. She traveled via private jet and earned over 3 million from modeling jobs which included photoshoots for a Japanese beauty brand and a German car company, making her the only self-made pet millionaire on this list. Lagerfeld had an estimated net worth of over $300 million at the time of his death, and it is rumored that Choupette received enough money from his estate to keep her purring in the lap of luxury for life.

Call KC Elder Law for a FREE Estate Planning Consult today, and find out how you can provide for the ones you love.

For More Information

How to Create an Estate Plan That Includes Your Pet

Creating a Trust for Your Pet

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