If you love cats and have no children, what do you do in your will? From the AP:
A childless Florida couple who loved cats have given their entire $2 million estate to the University of Georgia veterinary school.Tom and Dorothy Morris of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., picked UGA because their favorite veterinatrian, William Meriwether, went to school there.
"Since they had no children, I think they just wanted to leave their legacy to animals," said Peter Armold, the deceased couple's nephew and representative of the estate.
Tom Morris died in the 1980s, and Dorothy Morris passed on in 2003.
Their bequest will turn into a $90,000 a year trust for students working toward a doctorate of veterinary medicine and Ph.D. simultaneously, said Dot Sparer, public relations coordinator for the veterinary school.
Their veterinarian, Meriwether, said he had no idea the Morrises would leave such a large gift.
"I thought maybe they'd give a few thousand dollars — but $2 million? Good gracious!" he said.
This is very cool. Also those of us that are without heirs need to make arrangement for someone to take care of our animal friends. My husbands sister died without a will leaving a farm full of animals with no arrangements for care nothing. Woody is sorting out the bills of sale care ect nearly a year later. Its a mess...
They might out live us you know...
Posted by: Hokule'a at September 28, 2004 01:48 AMGeraldine Rockefeller Dodge did something similar, but on a much larger scale, many years ago. In the 1930s, she started St. Hubert's GIralda in Madison, New Jersey. Its an enormous complex, with hundreds of acres of fields, right in the middle of some of New Jersey's most expensive real estate. Its been operated as a top notch animal rescue since that time.
Growing up, this is where we would always come to help out with animals and get our pet cats and my dad would participate in their art shows (the sale of paintings was used to raise money for the continued operation).
Anywa, check them out. http://www.sthuberts.org/scoop/history.asp
Posted by: countertop at October 5, 2004 04:49 PM