I think there's sufficient evidence of people who care MORE for their animals than for other people (Hitler, say), to disprove the notion that respecting animal rights goes hand in hand with respecting human rights.

I believe the NYTimes article also mentioned that the courts would give the executors of the will some lattitude in fulfilling their mandate. So perhaps the money can be put to good use by creating programs that create jobs for people to help care for dogs. If these programs were made available to people who need jobs, then this could be a valuable form of charity. Maybe the money could be used to create veterinary schools, or programs where people train seeing eye dogs, or rescue dogs. Or perhaps there could be Animal rescue shelters that are run from prisons, or by ex convicts. If there are many people who have an easier time relating to animals than to humans, it would be a blessing for them to be paid for working with animals.

Great ideas, DebbieR. In just a few sentences, you were able to lay out several very specific uses for the money. Yet, unbelievably, Leona was apparently unwilling to do even that much, despite the fact she was leaving billions to the project? It makes you wonder whether the main goal wasn't helping dogs but rubbing her family's face in the fact they were being left out in the cold in favor of the mutts. That would make it even sadder yet--hating her human relatives but not loving animals enough to assure anything specific was accomplished with the money.

If the only direction is that the money be used to help dogs, well then, there are a lot of ways to help the dogs that help people, too.

One idea is to help the pets of homeless people. They have dogs because the dog gives them companionship and odesn't judge, but most shelters don't allow dogs. So create a homeless shelter that does take dogs, offer free spay/neuter, free or low cost veterinary care, like vaccinations. Help set up low cost and temporary housing that allows pets, so that these people are not forced to choose between getting the help they need and abandoning their constant companion.

Donate some of the money to the Humane Society or other rescue groups that help in evacuations. Find a way to keep people from having to make the decision to abandon their pets (which really can feel like family members) or risking their own health and safety.

As DebbieR suggested, help fund prison animal programs. If you believe in rehabilitation (as oppossed to straight punishment) the animal programs have proven very valuable in the prisons their in. This helps homeless dogs of all sorts get better training and makes them adoptable, and it teaches prisoners how to care for someone/something other than themself, a pretty valuable lesson. It also gives them some job skills for when they get out.

The money could be used to help fund law enforcement activities around stopping dog fighting. It could be used to help pay for veterinary care for abused and abandoned animals that might otherwise have to be put down. It could simply fund a number of animal shelters.

Helmsley was probably trying to rub her "heirs" faces in it. But I'm not certain I disagree with her. Why should they get to be rich just because their parent or grandparent made a lot of money. Why shouldn't they have to earn their own way? Of course, my heirs would know this in advance (not that I'll ever have an extra million lying around, let alone billions).

And maybe she didn't specify the programs because it is a LOT of money, and there are a lot of ways it can be used. In the end, I hope the executors really do see the value of what they can do with the resources they've been given, and make a real, positive difference in the lives of dogs and people.

"Why should they get to be rich just because their parent or grandparent made a lot of money. Why shouldn't they have to earn their own way?"

Good point. They should have to marry into their fortunes, just like Leona did.

The way I look at it, it was her money. If she decided it should be used to help animals, then so be it. Visit most animal shelters in this country, you will quickly understand that it could be money well spent.

Anyone who says the money would be better spent on humans, please consider this, Humans decided a trillion dollars would be better spent waging war in Iraq, then spent on taking care of human needs. Unless you count Hillary, dogs did not get a vote on that bonehead decision.