A (Rich) Dog's Life

As the saying goes, the rich aren't like you or me. Evidently, neither are their pets.

Leona Helmsley's pet pooch, Trouble, is going from rich bitch to good dog by throwing a $10 million bone to charity.

A Manhattan judge quietly reduced the notoriously ill-tempered canine's $12 million trust fund and signed off on a deal to pay the late billionaire's two disinherited grandchildren $6 million amid allegations that Helmsley wasn't mentally competent when she signed her will.

Trouble now will have to get by for the rest of her life on a measly $2 million.
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Helmsley's will had asked that either her brother or grandson David Panzirer care for the dog, but both passed on tending the notoriously bitey beast.

Trouble is living in Florida with Carl Lekic, the general manager of the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel.

In an affidavit, Lekic says Trouble appears to be very happy in her new permanent home and is doing well in all respects, and the extra cash wouldn't buy her more happiness.

"Two million dollars . . . would be enough money to pay for Trouble's maintenance and welfare at the highest standards of care for more than 10 years, which is more that twice her reasonably anticipated life expectancy," he said.

Lekic put her annual expenses at $190,000, which includes his $60,000 guardian fee, $100,000 for 'round-the-clock security, $8,000 for grooming, $3,000 for miscellaneous expenses, $1,200 for food and anywhere from $2,500 to $18,000 for medical care.

So, $60K a year "guardian fee" to baby sit a pooch? $100 grand a year for security? What a different world the rich inhabit -- usually, dogs are our security, not the other way round!

And eight thousand dollars for "grooming" -- that mutt must be using John Edwards' hair stylist to rack up that kind of tab! :)