Michelle Hurst Di Pasquale
This weeks blog is the first in a series on legacy motivations – why we choose to leave gifts to charity and to which causes. Legacy Voice associate Michelle Hurst Di Pasquale shares about our love affair with animals and why she has chosen to remember them in her will.
What is it about other animals that captures our hearts? The dog that drops his jaw and seems to smile, the cat who looks out of the window planning her next adventure, the trusted friend and confidant who listens, never argues back and is always pleased to see you.
Maybe it is those beautiful big eyes eagerly searching your face and body language to see what will happen next. Or, of course, in the case of a donkey the eyes and those lovely big ears!
Whatever the motivation, I’m proud that the Great British public continue to support animal welfare charities in such numbers. Yes, charities have taken much criticism over the last couple of years and some practices do need to improve. Fundamentally though, they provide a critical link between those who care about animals and improving the lives of millions of animals each year.
It is perhaps not surprising then that 4 out of the top 10 charities to receive gifts in wills relate to animals (and if you add in habitat conservation and charities using dogs to help people that increases to 6 out of 10).
So then, is it the big eyes, the sloppy kiss or the unconditional love? For me, it is also what I learn from my dogs: their innate sense of living the best life they can and making the most of every moment. That’s why, like so many others, I’m leaving gifts in my will to my favourite animal charities.
Well, that and knowing that I will have made a real and positive difference to those who really matter to me.