Trust fund for pets could give you peace of mind

Sure, it made the rounds of the “News of the Weird” columns when a Nashville businessman left $5 million in a trust fund for his beloved border collie Lulu. But such gestures aren’t as eccentric as you might think.

Many estate plan experts now include pet planning as part of the comprehensive services they offer.

Really, you’re just dog-whistling past the graveyard and kicking the Alpo can down the road if you haven’t contemplated your own mortality and the fate that could befall your pets once you’re gone.

Will they be resented and mistreated by your heirs? Dumped at the animal shelter? Euthanized? Or worse, will their naps be ruined by unending robocalls about the extended warranty on your vehicle?

All of us should be proactive about our pets’ uncertain future. Sadly, not all of us will be able to leave a Lulu-sized tidy sum for our four-legged friends. Despite my affection for my pets, I anticipate cobbling together a decidedly unkempt sum. Oh, I think I can spring for excavating my burial plot; but my cats may have to help with covering the casket.

I’ll at least have to stipulate that the executor ration care to make the money last.

Honestly, I don’t begrudge anyone the financial resources for lavishly rewarding the loyalty of their fur babies. I do wish more of the affluent had the same compassion for the two-legged entities in their sphere of influence.

Yes, much of the impetus for making long-term arrangements for dogs is their unconditional love and unswerving fidelity. Think of the stories of pitiable pooches who lingered for weeks or months near the spot where their master abandoned them. Come to think of it, instead of gold-plated toilet bowls, dogs’ inheritances should include self-esteem classes.

It’s easier to leave funds for your pets when you have no human offspring; but that still doesn’t mean there won’t be great-nephews, mistresses and charities crawling out of the woodwork and initiating legal challenges when the will is read.

Establishing a trust fund for your pets can give you priceless peace of mind. Rest assured that if you do precede them in death, they will be pleasantly shocked that you had the mental capacity to provide for them.

Danny Tyree welcomes email responses at:

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