Leona Helmsley's dog receives death threats

A dog that was left £6 million by her late owner, Leona Helmsley, the property and hotel billionaire, has had to be moved to a safe location after receiving a series of death threats.

Trouble, a small white Maltese to whom Mrs Helmsley was devoted until her death in August, came out significantly better in its owner's will than members of the Helmsley family.

Two of the so-called Queen of Mean's grand-children received nothing.

However, if Mrs Helmsley thought that her multi-million dollar trust fund for Trouble was doing the animal a favour, she might have made a mistake.

The New York Post reported yesterday that Trouble's new guardians have received around two dozen death threats directed at the bitch.

Two months ago, the dog - travelling under an assumed name - was flown in a private plane from her Connecticut home to another Helmsley estate in the Sarasota area of Florida.

John Codey, the Helmsley executive in charge of Trouble's trust fund, estimated that it would cost more than £150,000 a year to look after the dog, including the cost of a rotating security team, medical care and grooming.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/04/wdog104.xml

(Having "A Fish Called Wanda" flashbacks...)

Cute pooch. Poor innocent bystander...

These animals are considered property, as far as the law is concerned. That's like me leaving money to my car, or my couch. I just don't understand how it's lawfully possible. How are the animals listed as beneficiary of these wills and trusts? Is it the animal itself? Like, "I hereby leave my inheritance to, 'Snuggles'." Or, does it read more along the line of, "My inheritance goes to, the caretakers of 'Snuggles'." I guess I'm just not very familiar with probate laws.

She wasn't exactly known as a benevolent soul. This was probably her last slap at her family.

'in trust for the care of -----', not 'to the caretakers of ----'. And a guardian would have been appointed (in this case, the lawyers). There is probably an alternative, such as a breed rescue or humane society to take whatever's left after the dog actually dies.

Thanks.

:evilgrin:

C'mon, bird flu!

It'd be a blast to be the doggie's caretaker.