Leaving everything to an animal sanctuary...

[sandyRoe]

If I changed my will to leave everything I own to an animal sanctuary. I'm thinking of an owl haven, if there is such a thing. Could my voracious relatives have any grounds to contest it?

[starone]

My cousin left everything to the Salvation Army. He always said he wouldn't let his brothers and sisters (or as he called them 'those bas*tards') get their hands on it. I think I would prefer a human charity rather than an animal one. I would want to do some good to people in great pain or poverty. At the moment I support Breast Cancer research but there are plenty of other worthy causes.

[rowanwitch]

We have changed the world and changed some of the animals in it... We have upset the checks and balances for our own needs and are only now realing how the interconnectedness really works.... We owe animals our help now. There are too many people on this planet and we are losing whole species before we even have a chance to understand them.... we have only just found out that a small sea jelly thingy can provide a powerful anti cancer drug.... have we already lost the beetle or worm that holds the cure for the next superbug... We do not know....and as we don't we should be care-full of the creatures we have left

[starone]

Yes, indeed, rowan there are a great many endangered species. Unfortunately I am a bit suspicious of some of the charities that abound. I think I will stick to the tried and true, although I sometimes wonder just how much of our money goes to the upkeep of managers, under-managers etc.

[rowanwitch]

I will probably leave my estate to a local cat sanctuary where I know what they do with the money.... hopefully I could leave them enough to do some biggish jobs I know they want to improve the facilities for the elderly cats who can't spend so much time in the runs

[LoftyLottie]

fitflop - Do I agree rats are equal to humans in importance to the natural balance of the world - yes!

[flip_flop]

I see what you've done there - you've slightly shifted your stance from saying "...I don't believe humans are superior to animals...", from which only one conclusion can be drawn, to they are equally important in the great scheme of things. A subtle, but large, difference.

There have been loads of extinctions in the past and yet humans are still thriving - so I can't imagine if rats were no longer with us we'd be facing armageddon.

[LoftyLottie]

I do not believe the humans are superior to animals. They have superior brain power. If I believed that humans were superior to animals then I would also believe that humans with greater brain power were superior to others without. I haven't changed my stance. I don't thing I am more important to any animals. I obviously put humans first because I am human, but that doesn't mean I think humans are superior.