This article originally appeared on Dr. Mahaney’s Pet-Lebrity News column on Pet360.com as Lauren Bacall’s Dog Granted $10,000 in Movie Star’s Will
The world lost another great screen performer this week in Lauren Bacall. She’ll be well remembered for her sultry voice, acting prowess, and legendary romance to Humphrey Bogart. Bacall lived to a grand 89 years before dying from a stroke on August 12, 2014.
Her estate will be divided among her human family members, caretakers and her canine companion Sophie. From my perspective as a veterinarian, it’s great to see an owner be responsible enough to make clear in her will that money will be set aside to provide day to day and veterinary care for a beloved pet.
Who Was Lauren Bacall?
Lauren Bacall started as a model and became one of the most popular screens siren from the Golden Age of film who grew in popularity and raked up accolades for her impressive body of work, including the movie The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996) which earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination.
Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske and hailed from The Bronx in New York City. She was a famously romanced by Humphrey Bogart, an actor 25 years her senior, on the set of her first film To Have or Have Not (1944). The pair married and remained together until Bogart’s death from esophageal cancer in 1957. They had two children, Stephen Humphrey Bogart and Leslie Howard Bogart. Bacall had a second marriage to actor Jason Robards Jr. and another child, Sam Prideaux Robards. The marriage ended eight years later in 1969. The three children are the primary beneficiaries of Bacall’s will while her grandchildren, Sophia and household help were left the remainder of her estate.
How Much Was Left for Sophie?
Reportedly, the first line of Bacall’s will was the $10,000 for Sophie, which was left to Robards along with the responsibility to oversee the Papillon’s care.
This is a fairly sizable sum when one considers the relatively small dollar amount needed to maintain day to day care for your average pet. Yet, if Sophie needs any medications, nutraceuticals (supplements), examinations by veterinarians, surgical or oncology procedures, or other facets of veterinary medical care the costs well quickly add up.
Plus, is the $10,000 left for Sophie given to Robards on a tax free basis so he can use the entire sum exclusively for Sophie’s safekeeping or will there only a much smaller portion left post-taxes? The answer isn’t clear from my on-line research and seems privy to the whims of federal versus state law.
Does Sophie Have Any Known Medical Conditions?
At this time, it is not known if Sophie has any ailments needing veterinary medical care.
According to New York Post’s Page Six, she’s a mobile dog as “Bacall and Sophie were often seen by neighbors walking outside her $9 million apartment at The Dakota on Central Park West.” Sophie is reported to be a frequent companion of the starlet, as Vanity Fair reports Bacall “always has with her Sophie, an excitable Papillon.” If Sophie’s an “excitable” dog, then hopefully her energetic state is a reflection of her health.
petMD tells of the Papillon being a small, pure-bred dog “named for its distinctive ears, which lift up and out” with the appearance of a butterfly (papillon is the French term for butterfly) and is “regarded as one of the ten smartest dog breeds are in the top forty for most popular companion pets” that is known to have some health conditions related to its genetics, including:
Patella luxation (knee dislocation or sliding kneecap)- Sliding of the kneecap from its normal position to the inside (medial, more common) or outside (lateral) of the knee. There are four grades of patella luxation, with one being most mild and four being most severe. Patella lunxtion is the most common orthopedic abnormality I see in small dogs.
Tracheal collapse (collapse of the windpipe)- Reduction in diameter of the windpipe that occurs during activity or is elicited by trauma (pulling on a neck collar, etc.) and manifests as a honking cough or other breathing difficulties (choking, rabid or abnormal breathing, etc.)
Periodontal Disease- Many small dogs have mouths that are more difficult for dog owners to clean with a toothbrush or dental wipes. As a result, small breeds like Papillon develop plaque, tartar, dental calculus, and even tooth loss or other problems associated with bacterial proliferation in the mouth (heart valve malfunction, kidney and liver damage, etc.) earlier in life than their larger-sized canine counterparts.
Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)- This condition involves degeneration of or trauma to the discs that support the vertebral column (backbone). When a disc bulges, ruptures, or doesn’t support the backbone and spinal cord in an anatomically-appropriate way, discomfort or potentially irreversible neurologic damage (paralysis or lack of sensation to the limbs or other body parts) can ensue. As the Papillon is a small dog living in a big person world, there’s the chance that jumping down from elevated surfaces (bed, couch, etc.) or attempting to traverse a staircase could lead to a slip or fall and the chance of traumatic spinal cord injury.
How Can I Ensure My Pets Are Financially Protected When I Die?
If you’ve not made appropriate arrangements for your pet’s care upon your death, there are a variety of outcomes that could occur. On a best-case scenario, a friend or family member could adopt the pet. A worst-case scenario involves the pet being given up to a shelter or even euthanized.
As owners should always strive to provide the best care for their companion canines and felines, proper planning can help safeguard your pet’s health and happiness upon your departure into the beyond.
According to Suzanna de Baca’s Huffington Post article Pet Trusts: Should You Leave Money to the Family Dog?, “legally enforceable documents are the only way to try to ensure that your pet will be cared for according to your wishes. There are essentially three ways you can make provisions for your pet: a will, a pet trust or a Pet Protection Agreement.” From de Baca’s perspective, it sounds as though the pet trust or Pet Projection Agreement are both applicable regardless of if you are alive or dead and aren’t susceptible to the purgatory of probate court that could delay your wishes for Fido or Fluffy from being carried out.
My condolences go out to Bacall’s family for their loss and well wishes for health and longevity extend to Sophie.
Have you ever made legal arrangements for your pet’s care in your absence? Please feel free to share your story in the below comments section.
Thank you for reading this article. Your questions and comments are completely welcome (I’ll respond).
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Copyright of this article (2013) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.
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