During the Grumpy Vegan’s time in the United States I learned about benefactors who established large foundations to mostly fund projects to help animals. This is, of course, possible to do how you want it done when you’re alive; however, after you’ve sprung from this mortal coil, well, it’s not so easy. Several foundations come to mind (e.g., the Brach Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Trust) where it would appear the surviving trustees over the years play down the animal commitment and play up everything else.
The news that New York City-based hotelier and real estate magnate Leona Helmsley left instructions that her entire trust ($5-8 billion) be left to help dogs is making alarm bells ring and calculations being made. As HSUS’s Wayne Pacelle notes
If her estate is put to use in a way that is consistent with her instructions, a total of $8 billion would result in $400 million flowing to the cause of dog protection per year (if the standard five percent of the corpus is allocated each year).
Surely, it’s more than dogs salivating over this news. God bless Leona Helmsley! What’s worrying is whether the trustees of the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust hold fast to her wishes. And not drown in all the slobber the attorneys are salivating.
This time the redirection away from the benefactor’s original wishes for their foundation may not be so easily achieved. Too many lessons have been learnt from similar circumstances to hopefully not let this happen again.
Meanwhile, The Times couldn’t resist itself (need to check whether The Graun is sputtering anything) in an editorial Not A Dog’s Life
There are many reasons why people might think twice before leaving $8 billion in their will to be lavished on dogs. And the most obvious reason? Because they’re dogs, for Pete’s sake!
[…]
Helmsley’s bequest is around 30 times what Barack Obama spent on his campaign to win the Democratic nomination for the White House. Hell, with $8 billion to spend, even Hillary Clinton might have triumphed. Or else she could have spoilt herself with ten million new pantsuits.
But $8 billion? For dogs? It’s the meek who are supposed to inherit the earth, not the mutts.
Puerile piffle of the worst sort.
