An elderly Chinese woman has decided to leave her 20 million yuan ($2.8 million) fortune to her pet cats and dogs, claiming that they were always there for her, unlike her three children.

The woman, made her first will some years back, splitting all her possessions among her three children, but she recently had a change of heart after being neglected by her human offspring. She claims that her children never visited or at least arranged for her to be taken care of when she was ill, and they hardly ever contact her, so she has decided to leave all her assets to the only creatures that have always been by her side – her pet cats and dogs. The Shanghai-based woman has already changed her will to reflect her wishes that all her money be used to care for her pets and their offspring after her passing.

Photo: Camellia/Unsplash

Unfortunately for the woman, surnamed Liu, Chinese law forbids people from leaving possessions directly to their pets. However, after consulting a lawyer, Liu found a way around it – she appointed a veterinary clinic as the administrator of her wealth, entrusting it with caring for her beloved pets.

Chen Kai, an official from China’s Will Registration Centre headquarters in Beijing, told the South China Morning Post that Liu’s current will puts her assets at risk, adding that his office had instructed her to appoint a person she trusts to supervise the veterinary clinic in how it manages the inheritance.

“Liu’s current will is one way, and we would have advised her to appoint a person she trusts to supervise the vet clinic to ensure the pets are properly cared for,” Kai said.

Photo: Melinda Gimpel/Unsplash

Another legal expert expressed his hope that Liu’s kids will come around and that she will change her mind about making her pets the only heirs.

The elderly woman’s story touched the hearts of millions in China, most of whom were sympathetic to her situation. Filial piety is a big deal in the Asian country and children who neglect their parents in their old age are punishable by law.

“Well done. If my daughter treats me poorly in the future, I will also leave my house to others,” one person wrote on Sina Weibo, China’s version of X (Twitter).