Bank Saves Berwyn Cat's Life

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Apr 4, 2012 9:00PM

In this story, lawyers and a bank are the heroes. Wrap your head around that idea.

When the owner of 11-year-old Boots died in December, the cat was placed on "kitty death row." In her will, Georgia Lee Dvorak stated that any cats she owned at the time of her death should be euthanized "in a painless, peaceful manner" by lethal injection. The folks at Fifth Third Bank weren't comfortable with that, and Dvorak had no relatives with whom to argue, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The lawyers dug deeper and took Boots' case to court, arguing that, “It would violate public policy to euthanize a healthy housecat where an appropriate shelter has been identified.” Dvorak had given most of her estate to animal-related causes, including PETA and the Humane Society, so perhaps the wording in her 1988 will wasn't exactly what she had in mind.

An associate at Fifth Third found an appropriate no-kill shelter, Cats are Purrsons Too, to agree to care for Boots. The court agreed to send Boots to shelter and dedicate $1,000 from Dvorak's account to care for her. Fifth Third agreed to kick in the extra $1,000 for Boots to live happily ever after.