If I had $6 million, and had already taken care of my family, I would happily leave it to my faithful Mr. Darcy (at right). Though given his fairly simple needs (eat, sleep, snuggle, take very
short walks) he wouldn't make much of a dent in his windfall.There is something both poignant and completely intoxicating about the adoration dogs give their masters. Darcy climbs into the car for a road trip, settles on the passenger seat, lays his head on the arm rest and proceeds to gaze adoringly at me for hours, until we reach our destination. The worshipful stuff would grow creepy rather quickly with a human, but in a dog there's something terribly reassuring about it. No matter how badly you've messed up that day, or how at odds with the rest of humanity you feel, the dog is there to provide unstinting love and support.
Helmsley, a famously difficult woman, must have been even more reliant on her pooch than the average dog lover. When people get difficult, it's always a relief to turn to the dog ... who doesn't argue. is never thoughtless and won't betray you. Granted, the conversations are a bit one sided.
What I'd really like to know ... and what no paper I've seen has reported ... is what happens to the £6 million after Helmsley's dog dies. As logical as her actions may be, they do reveal a terrible tragedy. Dogs supplement and enhance human existance, but they can't replace human interaction. How lonely and isolated she must have been to make such a dramatic decision. I nurse a secret hope that Helmsley might have been generous enough to forward the money on to one of those charities that trains dogs and provides canine visitors to nursing homes, so that others who are old and alone could capture some of the same benefits she obviously got from her best friend.
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