Pets are part of an estate
The piece last month about my friend’s Herculean efforts to take care of her brother and his estate evoked memories and elicited stories from you about planning failures by ordinary people, people like you and me.
The stories about older women who disinherit their children and leave their worldly possessions to younger men who have somehow appeared in their lives are apparently more than urban legends. Stories abound about people who did no planning at all and left quite a mess and bickering adult offspring.
Then, there are stories of the rich and famous who did not get it right even with the help of lawyers. The Wrigley family had to sell the Chicago Cubs franchise to pay taxes because chewing gum magnet William Wrigley did not get adequate estate-planning advice.
Audrey Hepburn’s two sons, half-brothers, squabbled for years over their inheritance of personal memorabilia from their mother’s movie career. Leaving the memorabilia in equal shares to her sons, the famous actress did not specify who got what. For more than 20 years, the brothers were unable to agree on an equitable distribution of their inheritance and finally went to mediation. According to some legal notes, their mother could have helped her sons avoid the whole acrimonious process by requiring mediation immediately if they could not agree, or she could have required that the memorabilia be sold and the proceeds distributed equally if they could not agree.
My friend, whom I wrote about last month, has reminded me of another hugely important estate-planning issue. The following is in her own words about Zee, her brother’s dog.
“In addition to my brother, there was another family member I was responsible for, ‘the love of his life,’ his huge black dog that always wore a red bandana so he wasn’t mistaken for a bear.
“At first, we thought the dog could return home with us, but learned that the dog was used to riding in an open truck and was extremely unhappy walking on anything other than grass or dirt, a real mountain dog whose best friends were deer or bears. This very big, but sweet, dog was completely housebroken, would put himself in his cage if it was storming and would bark at my brother when asked, ‘Do you love me?’”
For about six months, my friend had two caregivers taking care of the dog at her brother’s cabin. Then she accepted the fact that her brother would probably never return from the nursing home and the dog needed a new home.
She wrote a letter from the dog and asked the nearest animal shelter to post it.
“I felt the ‘letter’ really spoke from the dog’s heart and explained her past, present and hopeful future.”
Enjoy the letter (shortened slightly). “Hello. My name is Zee. I’m a black (friendly) German shepherd who has spent the first eight and a half years living in a cabin in steep hills with my much loved master who calls me ‘his sweetheart.’ I wear a bright scarf all the time so I’m not mistaken for a small bear. I’m in very good health and have all my shots.
“The last six months, I have stayed at the cabin, being taken care of by caring neighbors while my owner remains in a skilled nursing home. It seems unlikely that he’ll be able to return. It saddens me to know I must find another home. I have no bad habits, but I do shed quite a bit. I enjoy riding in the truck and wandering in the mountains with my owner. I’m now inside most of the time, but will go to the door to let you know when I want to go out. I will lie by your chair or bed while you sleep.
“I have never really been around other dogs, just lots of deer. If you are looking for a good girl who is house broken and little trouble as long as she’s fed, watered and shown a little affection, I’m your dog.
“Did I say I would prefer living in the country as I’ve never experienced city living. Adjustments can be hard, but with your patience and my willingness, I’m sure we can be happy together.”
Someone at the shelter posted the letter on Facebook. It generated a dozen or so phone calls and numerous Facebook requests.
My friend and her spouse narrowed the requests down to two, drove 14 hours to interview the new potential owners, taking Zee with them for the interviews.
The second person interviewed had a dog. My friend saw the man’s house, the place where Zee would sleep and the 25 acres or so of mostly wooded property where Zee could roam. My friend and her husband watched the slow, but promising reaction between the two dogs. Reluctantly, they left Zee there “with her huge bed and massive toys.” The new owner stays in touch with monthly pictures and updates.
What a journey my friend has had trying to take care of her brother and his dog and then settle her brother’s estate.
Perhaps being a caregiver and settling an estate are always an adventure. Some people, like my friend, do both jobs amazingly well.
Please take care of yourselves and stay safe. As I write this, it is still a scary time, especially for seniors.
Regardless, Happy Valentine’s Day. May the chocolate fairy shower you with goodies.
Martha Moore Hobson was an early certified financial planner™ in the region. Although retired she is an active volunteer in the community.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Pets are part of an estate
