brown dog

A Queens woman loves her pet Maltese so much that she rewrote her will to leave the pooch a million-dollar fortune consisting of jewelry, a trust fund and vacation home.

All a dog needs is a chew toy and a million dollar doghouse, right? So it is with Bell Mia, millionaire Maltese.

It is often a good idea to leave an inheritance for your favored pets. It is a way to make sure the pets will be taken care of adequately after you pass away. Most people who wish to bequeath an inheritance to their pets leave just enough for the animals’ basic care and support.

Rose Ann Bolasny, however, is not most people.

The Queens woman plans to leave her dog, Bella Mia, a trust fund worth six figures and a house in Florida worth a million dollars. The New York Post has the full story in an article titled “Pampered pooch to inherit 6-figure trust fund, $1M house.”

Obviously, this is taking things to the extreme.

If you want to leave something for the future care of your pet after your passing, then you do not need to leave the pet wealthier than most humans. However, you do need to plan ahead with an experienced estate planning attorney. He or she can make sure you have left an inheritance for your pet in a manner allowed by the laws of your state.

Of course, as pets have much shorter life spans than humans, you might also need to change your plans if something should happen to your pet.

Reference: New York Post (January 16, 2015) “Pampered pooch to inherit 6-figure trust fund, $1M house

Mr. Amoruso concentrates his practice on Elder Law, Comprehensive Estate Planning, Asset Preservation, Estate Administration and Guardianship.