02 January 2008

Three Maryland Dogs Enjoy $800,000 Inheritance

Buckshot, Katie and Obu-Jet enjoy the good life and are well taken care of even though their owner passed away last year. Ken Kemper, their former owner, died of cancer and left his three dogs $400,000 from his estate and his Maryland house. In total, Buckshot, Katie, and Obu-Jet are worth about $800,000.

The beagle and two Labrador mixes now live at the house with a caretaker, Ron Grady. On Friday nights, the dogs are treated to a spaghetti and meatball dinner with garlic bread. Buckshot, Katie, and Obu-Jet just know when it’s Friday and when it’s time for spaghetti and meatballs. Grady said, “They’re the most loving dogs. That’s all they live for, is to give you attention and love.”

Karin Anderson, a longtime friend of Kemper and the executor of his estate, said four dogs originally were in the pack. Skye, a Jack Russell terrier, died about three weeks ago from pancreatic cancer. Grady said the remaining three dogs still mope around and seem saddened by the loss of their friend.

Kemper worked for the Voice of America, an international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. government. It was common for Kemper to return to the U.S. with stray dogs from the Middle East and other parts of the world. Anderson said that when the dogs die, she will ensure that the money goes to an animal charity, because that is what Kemper would have wanted. All three dogs are about 10 years old now. "He really loved animals," Anderson said. "The man's heart was so big, it needed its own ZIP code. He was a great guy."

[Source: Itchmo and Herald-Mail]