Millionaire Dog Forced To Change Name And Go Into Hiding After Threats
Posted December 4, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
This could only happen in the modern era and it sounds like something out of a movie. An heiress to a real estate fortune has been getting death threats and was forced to move away after fears someone might try to kidnap her. All of which doesn’t sound too unreasonable until you find out that “heiress” is a little dog.
When Leona Helmsley (top left), a tycoon once known as the Queen of Mean, died in August, she lived up to her infamous nickname by cutting some family members of out her billion dollar estate and leaving US$12 million to her faithful white Maltese pet, Trouble.
Now the aptly named pooch has been forced to relocate and – you can’t make this stuff up – use an assumed name, after those assigned to care for the rich ruff-ian began receiving death threats. The dog was apparently flown on a private jet to Florida two months ago to throw her pursuers off the track.
Trouble Helmsely certainly lives a dog’s life. She gets round the clock security, non-stop medical care, has her meals prepared by gourmet chefs and has her own grooming staff. Her expenses last year came to about US$300,000.
The dog has a nasty reputation and is often cited as sharing her late former mistress’s sometimes nasty disposition, accused of biting people she doesn’t know or like. Helmsley’s will expressly stated that the animal should be pampered and taken care of for the rest of its life, after which it will buried beside her and her husband.
The remaining money will go to the same charitable trust that inherited most of the couple’s estate.
It’s not clear what Trouble’s new name might be – or whether she responds to it when called. But given the pet’s fabulous wealth, it’s fair to assume she does the calling.
Photo credit: Keith Bedford/Getty Images
