Chinese mother passes on $2.8 million to her pets rather than her children, as they don’t care to visit
The woman altered her will due to her feelings of abandonment from her grown children, while her pets offered her "companionship and comfort"
Due to her adult children’s lack of visits throughout her older years, an elderly woman in China has chosen to give her $2.8 million inheritance to her dogs and cats instead of them. Ms. Liu, a Shanghai native, altered her will due to her feelings of abandonment from her grown children, while her dogs offered her “companionship and comfort.”
Due to regulatory limits that forbid direct bequests to animals in China, the legacy is now administered via a local veterinary clinic, according to the South China Morning Post, citing Zonglan News. Although Ms. Liu stated that she wanted to give her whole inheritance to her dogs, this is not allowed in the nation by law. She was also allegedly upset with her kids for not coming to see her, even while she was ill. Meanwhile, the exact age of Ms Liu is unknown, since press media just refer to her as an “elderly” woman.
Chen Kai, an official from the country’s Will Registration Centre headquarters in Beijing, told the publication that “there are alternatives to solve this issue”. “Liu’s current will is one way, and we would have advised her to appoint a person she trusts to supervise the vet clinic to ensure the pets are properly cared for,” he went on to say.
Officials have warned Ms Liu about the dangers
Another agency official said they had warned Ms Liu about the dangers of entrusting the veterinary facility with all her money. “We told Auntie Liu that if her children change their attitude towards her, she could always alter her will again,” the source added.
According to reports, the event has sparked online debates over family relationships and inheritance customs in China.
“How disappointed and heartbroken she must have been to make the decision not to leave anything to her children,” a user remarked.
“Well done. “If my daughter treats me badly in the future, I will leave my house to others,” another stated.
Meanwhile, this isn’t the first time pets have received a large bequest. According to the New York Post, in 2020, a wealthy Tennessee businessman gave $US5 million to his eight-year-old border dog, Lulu.
Alexander McQueen, a British fashion designer who died in 2010, famously gave $97,000 from his $31 million estate to his three dogs, Minter, Juice, and Callum.
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