In Florida and many other states animals are now allowed to beneficiaries of a special trust that is created to take care of them. These are often referred to as a Florida Pet Trust.
Today I was reading an article published in Arizona where a letter to the editor basically stated that a Dog could inherit ones estate and referred to Leona Helmsley as an explanation of this. While the article gives the correct advice the title is misleading and seems to suggest that a dog could inherit your estate. A pet only receives the benefit of a Florida Pet Trust while it is alive and the pet does not have the ability to use it for anything they want. A beneficiary of a trust is not the same as inheriting one’s estate. In fact a gift to a pet that is not interpreted as a Florida Pet Trust would be void in Florida and most states.
To create a valid Florida Pet Trust please Contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer.