Dog Will Not Now Receive $12m Legacy Despite Owner’s Instructions

Real Estate Tycoon’s Fortune is Split Between Charities

It was widely reported that the late Leona Helmsley, who died in 2007, entire $8 Billion fortune was to be spent only on canines.

The BBC News have reported that Helmsley left $12 Million to her pet dog, Trouble, and left out two of her Grandchildren of her will.

A New York City Judge said that the estate’s trustees were granted ‘sole discretion’ by Helmsley with the donating of her money. A US court has ruled that the money is to be split between charities rather than charities solely related to dogs.

A spokesman for the trustees said: ”The trustees have been diligently working to identify potential grantees so the trust’s funds would be put to optimal use as soon as possible in such areas as health care, medical research, human services, education and various other areas.”

When it was reported all of Helmsley’s fortune was to be left to canine charities, animal rights charities had planned for the money to be used to rescue dogs from disaster zones, tackle dog fighting, rabies in China and India as well as tackle the canine over population problems.

It is now unclear if dog welfare organisations will receive any of the money.