Long live the parrot
We’re often told that pets can live a long time, but in the case of an Eclectus parrot it can easily outlive its owner.
This is the problem Florida resident Laura Souza, 44, faced when she adopted the parrot Baby Nino, which could be expected to live up to the ripe old age of 70.
Aware that she was unlikely to reach the age 114, Ms Souza did what any responsible owner would do; “I got my lawyer to write the will so my daughter won’t inherit my estate unless she takes care of my bird.”
More people in the US are starting to leave money for their pets as states pass laws legalising pet trusts. Now estate lawyers and special animal care businesses are emerging to cater to pets when their owners die. According to some experts, owners who include their dogs, cats, birds or other creatures in their will, typically leave behind about $A11,556 to $A40,446.
Billionaire hotel operator and real estate investor Leona Helmsley died this year, leaving behind $A13.87 million to her while Maltese.
“People treat pets like members of the family, they want to make sure their pets are taken care of long after they’re gone,” said Fred Hochsztein, a Hollywood, Florida, estate lawyer.
Jennifer Robinson, also an estate lawyer, believes that the majority of people who set up pet trusts are elderly owners who live alone.
“I’ve seen people put a couple of hundred thousand dollars to a million dollars in a pet trust,” she said.
“They could be irritated with their children because they don’t visit or they could just befriend the pet so much they just love them.”
Most pet trusts name a trustee to handle the money and another person to look after the pet. The owner can also designate enforcers just to make sure the trustee and caretakers follow instructions, said Robinson.
Source: The Gold Coast Bulletin, Dec 2007
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‘Pet’ tigers for sale in small ads and online
Despite a recent attack in the US by a 10ft Siberian tiger, some people are still advertising Bengal and Siberian tigers in small ad columns and internet sites.
There are more than 10,000 tigers owned in private homes across America, where it is still legal to own the deadly creatures. Half this number live in the wild.
Over the last seven years, a total of 91 tigers have escaped, killing 12 people and injuring 89.
“These dangerous wild animals are unpredictable and require specialised care that the average person cannot give,” said Fred O’Regan, head of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Not everyone agrees and some Americans are defending their right to own the exotic animals. On the website ExoticCat.com, Jessi Clark-White said, “Banning exotic pets doesn’t help them, it kills them. Should exotic cats be legal? Absolutely.
“The current lobby to outlaw exotic pets is fuelled by misconceptions and special interests.”
According to investigators, the tiger which escaped a San Francisco zoo to kill two boys was kept in a compound with 12ft walls, which were four feet below the recommended minimum height.
Source: Stuart Winter, The Express, Dec 2007
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Year of the Rat boosts sales in Russia
2008 is the Chinese Year of the Rat, and if recent rat sales are a good indicator, it would appear that Russians not only share a border with China, but also a serious love of the zodiac.
According to some Chinese astrologers, those born in the Year of the Rat are charming and generous people with a good imagination who can also be quick-tempered and over-critical. Others believe they are clever, self-confident and optimistic. Rat people make good writers, critics and publicists, depending on who you read.
As the Chinese New Year approaches, people in Moscow are already starting to buy champagne rats, rat cages and ratty furniture to give to one another as New Year gifts. The city’s pet stores have even run out of rats to sell due to the peak in demand. Lucky it isn't year of the tiger.
The Year of the Rat: 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960
Source: UKPets Steve O’Malley Jan 2008
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