2. KALU THE CHIMPANZEE

3. TROUBLE THE MALTESE TERRIER

A US court has recently ruled to deprive a lap-dog named Trouble of a big part of its multi-million-dollar fortune. The dog “inherited” the fortune from its owner, a stingy New York billionaire socialite, Leona Helmsley. The court posthumously recognized the woman as a mentally unstable individual and ruled to collect 10 of 12 million dollars from the lap dog in favor of the woman’s grandchildren.

The dog’s lawyers intend to appeal against the decision which as they believe violates the dog’s rights.

4. TINA AND KATE THE COLLIE CROSSES

It can be traumatic for a dog when their owner dies and they lose their home as well as their human companion. But collie crosses Tina and Kate were spared this indignity.

Nora Hardwell, who died the day before her 90th birthday, ensured her two dogs would live out the rest of their days in luxury by bequesting them the run of her home and five acres of land in Peasedown St John, near Bath, as well as 1 million dollar to be spent on their every whim.

Her will stipulated that a carer must be employed to look after the two dogs, and that the house must be kept clean at all times.

5. JASPER THE MONGREL

This is a true rags to riches tale. Jasper, an illegitimate labrador-doberman cross from a broken home, spent his early days in Battersea Dogs’ Home.

His glossy black coat and big pink tongue proved irresistible to brewery heiress Diana Myburgh, who rescued him and cared for him until she died, aged 74, in 1995.

Mrs Myburgh left trust funds of $50,000 each to Jasper and her other dog, a whippet called Jason - and when Jason passed away his share was inherited by Jasper.

The dog, aged about 14, now lives in some splendour at Maunsel House in Somerset, with Mrs Myburgh’s former son-in-law, Sir Benjamin Slade, who invested Jasper’s initial bequest on the stock market and has seen it increase three-fold.

“A dog can’t spend that amount of money,” says Sir Benjamin.

“He pays me £11 a day to look after him. But what he really likes is tripe. He’s mad about tripe. He doesn’t like pork. Won’t touch it. He has green-lipped mussels and cod-liver oil.

“He also has a diamond collar, but it’s not real. That cost him £75 at Chelsea Farmer’s Market.”

At one point Sir Benjamin explored the possibility of having Jasper’s DNA cloned to create a replica dog.

But that enraged the trustees to whom Jasper’s money will revert on his death, “there was a screaming row and they all got on the phone to their lawyers. They’re all waiting for him to turn up his toes”.

6. TINKER THE CAT

After befriending an elderly widow, Margaret Layne, who died in 2003 aged 89, Tinker the stray, then eight, ensured he would never want for cat biscuits or chocolate drops again.

Under the terms of her will, Layne stipulated that the black cat would have the run of her threebedroom house in Harrow, Middlesex, as well as a $200,000 trust fund, with trustees appointed to deliver him food and milk daily.

The house will remain open to Tinker for 21 years, or until he dies, whichever comes sooner, after which it passes to the trustees charged with his care.

As Tinker soon discovered though, being rich is not without its perils: just months after his owner died, Tinker was moved to a safe house in mid-Wales after a series of death threats and calls from people jealous of his money.

7. PORGY, PRIDE, JOY & RONALD THE CATS

The late bookshop queen Christina Foyle - owner of Foyles in Charing Cross Road - who died in June 1999, left a $120 million estate that included two animal bequests (see below for the second).

“I’ve always been an avid cat lover and Miss Foyle left me all her nine cats,” explains her former housekeeper Maureen Harding.

“And I’ve still got four of them left.”

The $140,000 cottage Harding was left to live in with the cats was sold and the money used to buy a new home for the feline family in Essex. Porgy, a tortoiseshell and at 17 the oldest, sleeps in Harding’s bedroom; then come Pride and Joy (both tabbies) and Ronnie, the youngest.

“Ronnie’s a bit of a bully, I’m afraid. Quite a character although he can be spiteful. But they’re all sweethearts really,” says Harding.

8. SILVERSTONE THE TORTOISE

Aged over 50, this tortoise got his name when he was set down on a lawn on Grand Prix day and proceeded to make extremely pacy progress across the grass.

He was another beneficiary of Christina Foyle.

She left $200,000 to handyman Anthony Scillitoe and his wife Eileen to look after her six tortoises plus a collie cross, who died shortly after his mistress.

While five of the tortoises remained in Scillitoe’s care, Silverstone lives with Miss Foyle’s former housekeeper, Maureen Harding.

9. TOP CAT AND MATILDA

This pair became aristocats when their owner, a retired librarian in Aberdeen called died in October 2004 leaving $20,000 for the care of each of her cats.

The minister’s daughter had been parsimonious when it came to her own creature comforts - she travelled everywhere by bus and saw no need to have central heating - but clearly felt her cats were worth a little more.

 

10. ANGUS THE COW AND LARRY THE LAMB

Thanks to a $6 million trust created by the Queen Mother before she died, the herd of 150 Aberdeen Angus cattle and 200 North Country Cheviot sheep on the Castle of Mey Farm can claim to be perhaps the wealthiest set of animals in Britain.

We calculate each of the animals can boast a personal fortune of almost $16,000.

The money from the trust is also shared by a small menagerie in the Castle of Mey visitor centre (comprising two goats, two piglets, six rare breed sheep, six rare poultry, three call ducks, two male rabbits and two lovebirds called Jeremy and Julia).

The Queen Mother had a longstanding interest in the Aberdeen Angus breed.

Along with George VI she became joint patron of the Aberdeen-Angus Society in 1937, a post she retained until her death 65 years later in 2002.

exypna.gr