rdfs:comment
| - Some rich people give their fortune to their relatives when they die (though in the media, it's often On One Condition). Some leave their fortune to charity. And some eccentric types leave their money to... their beloved dog. Or cat, or fancy rat, or parrot, or whatever. Legally, of course, animals cannot own money or property, and domesticated animals are, themselves, property; but a testamentary trust for an animal's care could be set up, and all the estate's assets could go to that trust. Which would leave the trustee in control of the assets. Examples of Pet Heir include:
|
abstract
| - Some rich people give their fortune to their relatives when they die (though in the media, it's often On One Condition). Some leave their fortune to charity. And some eccentric types leave their money to... their beloved dog. Or cat, or fancy rat, or parrot, or whatever. That's the concept behind the Pet Heir plot. Often Hilarity Ensues as the new caretakers of the pet (usually the protagonists) struggle to keep the pet alive despite the efforts of unscrupulous sorts (frequently family who were deemed Inadequate Inheritors) who are next in line to inherit should "anything unfortunate" happen to the pet in question. Why the alternative heirs are in such a rush to inherit, and can't simply wait for the pet's natural lifespan to expire, is seldom addressed. Legally, of course, animals cannot own money or property, and domesticated animals are, themselves, property; but a testamentary trust for an animal's care could be set up, and all the estate's assets could go to that trust. Which would leave the trustee in control of the assets. There are cases of Truth in Television for this trope, oddly enough. Or not, if the pet in question is a parrot or a similarly long-lived pet critter. Examples of Pet Heir include:
|