Newspapers have reported that an Italian cat called Tomasso has just inherited the equivalent of several million pounds through his owner’s will. Apparently, Tomasso is but a pauper compared with Gunther IV, a German shepherd reckoned to be worth US$372million.
It is almost certain that these legacies were left in trust, which is the way to provide for your pet under English law, the basic choices for which are:
- A trust for the maintenance and upkeep of your pet – the key here is to choose your trustees carefully as any payments will be at their discretion; or
- A legacy of money plus the pet to a named individual coupled with a non-binding expression of hope that this individual will look after the pet – again the choice of the individual will be critical to the outcome.
An alternative for dealing with pets is to specify that they should be humanely destroyed after your death. If I was the pet, despite the risk that trustees or a named individual may not fulfil my owner’s wishes, I know which of the options available I would prefer!
