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Dogs have been man's best friend for thousands of years. The origin of our relationship with our beloved canines isn't entirely known, but every year researchers are getting a step closer to figuring out what early human-dog relations were like. Some have suggested that dogs literally evolved to have certain traits after working alongside owners for so many generations. When you think about what dogs really are — living creatures that care about us — it's amazing and quite unique. How anyone could hate dogs is beyond me. While dogs deserve to be loved, some people take it a little too far. After all, most people consider their pets to be part of the family.
Oprah made the news after she announced she was going to leave a massive sum to her dogs when she passes away. According to reports, Oprah is going to leave $30 million to her dogs, and other pets, to ensure that they are cared for after she passes. Is $30 million really necessary? Isn't that too much? Not according to these celebrities who have spent absolute fortunes on their pets!
Nicholas Cage Says His $150K Octopus Improved His Acting
Nicolas Cage is known for two things: being a walking meme and making outlandish purchases. Though the Oscar-winning actor has had quite the illustrious career, Cage has tarnished his legacy by starring in a string of bad movies. This is surprising, considering the fact that Cage spent $150,000 on an octopus that was supposed to help him become a better actor.
According to Cage, the octopus was helping him with his acting career for a number of years, but he eventually had to get rid of the cephalopod. Apparently,
he was worried that the octopus was going to break the glass of the aquarium.
It wouldn't be the first time an octopus planned its escape, either. In 2016, after workers failed to properly seal the lid, an octopus slipped out of its aquarium tank, crawled across the floor, and escaped to the sea through a drainpipe!
Karl Lagerfield's Cat Made $3 Million In 2014
Fashion designer Karl Lagerfield made sure that his cat has expensive taste like him. Named Choupette, the cat has been the inspiration to a number of Lagerfield's products, including a $540 stuffed animal replica of his furry friend. But it gets even stranger because the cat developed quite the social media following. Reports say that
Choupette has participated in fashion campaigns, social media campaigns, and even has her own set of personal maids.
Lagerfield doesn't try to restrain how much he loves his cat, either. In his own words, "Choupette is such a strange thing because I never thought that I could fall in love with an animal like this." In 2014 alone, Choupette had earned a little over $3 million for participating in two different advertising campaigns in Germany and Japan! To add to the weirdness, Lagerfield says that the cat never spends any time alone!
Leona Helmsley Left $12 Million To Her Dogs
Leona Helmsley bought her dog, Trouble, to cope with the passing of her billionaire husband, Harry Helmsley. Back in 2007, Leona finally kicked the bucket and decided to burn her family and leave the majority of her estate to her dog. Trouble was set to inherit a pretty $12 million before a judge bumped the dog's inheritance down to a lowly $2 million.
Trouble has had a trouble-free life for the most part. Leona Helmsley picked the pup up from a New York City pet shop and catered to the dog's every need. When she passed, Trouble was to be left with her brother, who later refused to take care of the dog. Over the span of his life,
Trouble flew by private jet — sometimes on her own — and received $100,000 worth of care every year including $8,000 for grooming and another $1,200 for dog food.
Trouble also had a full-time security guard to protect the tiny pup from getting kidnapped, and was dubbed "The Richest Lapdog in the World" after passing away in 2011.
Britney Spears Spent $30,000 On Her Dogs In One Year
Britney Spears is one of those people that will probably never run out of money. Though she makes most of her money by touring around the world, Spears' is still worth approximately $46 million, which isn't bad for someone who peaked nearly 20 years ago. Some have questioned Spears has poor money management skills, which includes spending nearly $30,000 on her dogs in 2016.
It wasn't until a court document leaked that the world became aware of just how much Spears was spending on her beloved furry friends. On top of spending thousands to provide the best life possible for her dogs,
Spears also forked out more than $5,500 for her white Maltese, and another $8,212 for her Yorkshire Terrier.
Some of the dogs' other expenses include $1,500 for clothes and another $5,200 on dog sitting and food.
Mariah Carey Spent Over $45,000 To Groom Her Two Dogs
It's safe to say that Mariah Carey is a pretty big diva. By all accounts, she's known to throw fits backstage, have absurd requests for her dressing room, and storm off stage when things just don't go her way. Being a diva is essentially Mariah Carey's brand, and she extends her demanding lifestyle to her dogs, too. According to reports, Mariah Carey has spent over $45,000 to groom her two Jack Russels, and that's the least absurd of her expenses. Some reporters believe that
each dog has its own staff member, and when the dogs fly, they are given their own seats (first class, of course) which cost around $2,000 a pop.
To make the whole situation even more bizarre, sources say that Mariah Carey's dogs hate each other so much that they can't stand to be around each other. The dogs are even placed in separate kennels to keep them apart!
Jennifer Aniston Tattooed Her Dog's Name On Her Foot
Jennifer Aniston wasn't just pretending for the movie Marley & Me. In fact, she's been a dog lover for as long as we can remember. In 2008, she gave entire interviews based around her dogs, Dolly and Norman, and answered questions like how she met her dogs, what they like to do, their personalities, and some of their favourite things to do. Aniston tries to hide her favoritism, but always seemed to show more love to her old dog Norman than to her other pups. Sadly, Norman passed away in 2011 due to old age. Aniston tattooed Norman's name on her ankle as a tribute to her best friend.
Aniston also bought three units in a condo building under the title "Norman's Nest Trust."
Sadly, Norman, who was 15 years old, didn't live long enough to see his new home. Norman has been no stranger to the spotlight. In 1998, Norman went missing for two days and Aniston immediately offered a reward of $1,000 for anyone that found him. He was later found at an animal shelter. Aniston loved Norman so much that she regularly brought him everywhere she went, including on stage with her during talk shows!
Lady Gaga Spent $60,000 On Her Koi Fish
Lady Gaga blew up out of nowhere. When she released her first album The Fame, she was a relatively unknown talent and nobody could have predicted that she was going to change the world with her look and sound, as well as the strong messages in her songs. In 2013, after spending years entertaining her fans, Gaga had to take some time off to recover from hip surgery. To keep herself entertained, Gaga purchased 27 koi carp fish, paying around $60,000 for the fish and aquarium. According to sources,
Gaga suddenly wanted a koi fish aquarium after having a dream about the fish and asking her team to make it a reality.
The signature fish were shipped all the way from Japan just for Gaga! While it may seem ridiculous to the rest of us for someone to shell out $60,000 on an aquarium based on a dream, that's practically nothing for Gaga.
Michael Jackson Bought His Chimpanzee For $65,000
Of all the bizarre celebrity pet stories, there is none more famous than Michael Jackson and his pet chimpanzee, Bubbles. Bought from a research facility in Texas, Bubbles and Michael Jackson quickly became attached to each other. So much so, that in 1988,
Bubbles moved into the Neverland Ranch and slept in a crib inside Jackson's bedroom.
Additionally, Bubbles used the toilet and liked to eat candy and watch movies. He was living the dream! Sadly, when Bubbles became an adult, he, like most chimpanzees, became increasingly aggressive and it was no longer safe for the King of Pop to keep him as a pet. Bubbles was sent to an animal trainer and then eventually moved to a Florida sanctuary in 2005, and has lived there ever since! Though Michael Jackson originally paid $65,000 for Bubbles, it's uncertain if he left any money to care for the chimpanzee after his death. Thus far, Bubbles' care has been provided by donations and fundraisers, including a time where Bubbles sold five paintings for $750 a piece.
Lisa Vanderpump's Dogs Have Crystal Drinking Bowls
Socialite and television personality Lisa Vanderpump, one of the women from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, has a special place in her heart for her dogs. So much so, that she used her money to start the charity Vanderpump Dogs, which aims to provide better lives for dogs. At one point, Lisa Vanderpump said that she wasn't going to personally adopt any more dogs. But, after losing two of her dogs in just nine days, Vanderpump adopted Binky from her very own charity.
As you can imagine, these dogs are treated like royalty. There are some reports that the Vanderpump dogs are treated to items like a crystal studded drinking bowl, and more designer outfits than most people have. Lisa Vanderpump doesn't just dress up her dogs, though. She has an entire line of designer (yet inexpensive) pet clothes and accessories, like gold collars, bow ties, and even pet carrier bags!
Paris Hilton Built A $300,000 Mansion For Her Dogs
During Paris Hilton's early years as a reality star, her pet chihuahua Tinkerbell was just as famous as she was. She carried it everywhere and introduced an entire generation to the idea that you can keep a small dog in your purse while you run errands. In 2015, Tinkerbell passed away due to old age. But, since fading from the spotlight,
Hilton has adopted many more dogs and has treated them to the life she thinks they deserve, which includes access to their very own mansion.
In 2017, Paris Hilton tweeted her latest lavish purchase: a $300,000 mansion specifically built for her dogs. The mansion is two stories and is built with air conditioning, heating, designer furniture, and even a chandelier to give it that luxurious feeling that dogs care so much about. There's also a balcony for the pups.
Carrie Underwood Paid For Her Dog's Hydrotherapy
Country music star Carrie Underwood would do anything to make sure her dogs have the best life possible, and she's proven it, too. Underwood is the proud owner of two dogs, Penny and Ace, which have been spotted with her just about everywhere she goes, including down the aisle with her at her wedding. Back in early 2017, Underwood admitted that she was paying for something that most dog owners wouldn't: hydrotherapy for her dogs.
According to Underwood, just before Christmas in 2016, her dog Ace suffered from a herniated disk. As a result, he was completely paralyzed in his back end for a few days before slowly gaining the ability to move his right, and later left side. To make sure Ace would walk again,
Underwood paid for the best physical therapy for her dog.
As part of the therapy, Ace was placed on a treadmill at a height that made sure his legs were underwater. She's posted a bunch of videos of Ace progressing through his therapy, and proudly cheers out "Good job" and "You're moving it" to encourage his success!
Countess Karlotta Leibenstein Left Her Entire Fortune To Her Dog
Of all the rich dogs in the world, Gunther IV is by far the richest. After the death of his owner, Countess Karlotta Leibenstein of Germany in 1991, Gunther III was left her entire fortune of approximately $80 million. The money was to ensure that Gunther III, and the rest of the dogs in Gunther's future bloodline, would continue to live happily until the end of time. Today, Gunther IV owns the fortune!
As it turns out, Gunther IV has quite the financial team as well. Though only originally inheriting $80 million, his financial advisors have managed to invest that money and turn it into more than $370 million over the years. The dog owns mansions, has a personal maid and butler, and eats steak and caviar for dinner whenever he wishes.
Gail Posner Left $3 Million And Her Miami Mansion To Her Dogs
When Florida socialite Gail Posner passed away in 2010 at the age of 67, she left her $8.3 million Miami home, as well as a $3 million trust fund for her three dogs. As the daughter of American business man Victor Posner, the "pioneer of the hostile takeover," Gail Posner was born rich. Some believe that this meant she didn't have a great grasp of money, which is why she left a good chunk of it to her dogs.
Her son, however, claims that his mother was brainwashed by her staff to essentially write him out of the will.
Posner left the bulk of her fortune to her personal staff, like her two bodyguards, as well as her personal trainer. Posner's son, Bret, claims that her fortune should be left to him because she wasn't in the right mental state to handle her financial affairs. After all, Gail Posner spent $15,000 on a diamond studded Cartier necklace for her chihuahua, Conchita, who didn't like to wear the expensive jewelry.
George Clooney Shared A Bed With His Potbellied Pig
George Clooney rose to fame in 1994 when he played Dr. Doug Ross in the hit medical drama, ER. But before he was famous, Clooney bought a potbellied pig, who he named Max, and lived with the pig for many years. When Clooney struck it big, he brought Max, who grew to weigh over 300 pounds, to live with him in a mansion in the Hollywood Hills.
Clooney originally bought the pig for his girlfriend at the time, but when the relationship ended, he decided to keep the pig. Over the years, Clooney's love for Max was the talking point of his friends, family, and even journalists. According to reports,
Clooney ended relationships with many women over the years because they were incompatible with his beloved pig.
Apparently, Clooney would allow his pig to sleep with him in bed. But, all good things must come to an end. At the unbelievable age of 19, Max passed away in 2006. By that point, he was partially blind and suffered from arthritis. So, how much did Clooney spend on Max? Well we're not completely sure, but we can assume it was a huge chunk of change considering he ended relationships for Max.
Queen Elizabeth's Corgis Are Promised A Lifetime Of Happiness
For anyone in tune with the Royal Family, this won't be news. But, for those of you who don't know, Queen Elizabeth is obsessed with Corgis. Since she was a small child, Elizabeth II was fascinated by the oddly shaped dogs and has owned more than 30 Corgis since becoming the Queen of the United Kingdom in 1952. And, as you can imagine, she takes amazing care of her furry friends.
The Queen makes sure that each dog has its own wicker basket to sleep in that is raised slightly above the ground.
The Queen's Corgis also eat special meals approved by veterinary experts, but they aren't given any scraps from the table. Through the years, the Queen's love for Corgis has been cemented in statues, and every dog will be forever immortalized by being buried individually at the pet cemetery, created by the Queen in 1959. There is even a royal lineage of the Queen's Corgis, starting with her beloved dog Susan, whose decedents still follow the Queen around to this day.
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