Barbara Thorpe was a noted lover of cats during her lifetime so it was little surprise when her will left the bulk of her estate to care for the stray cats of her hometown. However, in the 12 years since her death, almost no money has been distributed to a small group of volunteers that were the intended beneficiaries of the bequest and now the town is fighting back. A lawsuit alleges that the trustees of the estate have bilked it out of fees for themselves and lawyers to the tune of $38,000 while donating no more than few thousand dollars total, often no more than $300 a year, for the care of strays. While the town has no animal shelter, the lawsuit states the clear intent was to assist a pair of sisters who operate a mobile home as makeshift shelters for strays which house dozens of cats in addition to outdoor insulated shelters where food is provided. No word yet on when the case is set to go to trial although it might be added this would not be the first time the trustees have been brought to court over suspicious billing habits.
See Judith Meyer, 13 years later: Dixfield cats waiting for inheritance, River Valley Sun Journal, January 31, 2016.
