West Newsmagazine 12-4-19

14 I NEWS I
December 4, 2019
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
A Christmas Gift?
Law Matters
I recently
heard from a
client about an
estate planning
mess that could
have been
avoided.
Although this
particular story
is hearsay, I know from experience
that these kinds of things regularly
happen.
Bill (these are not their real names)
had been married to Julie for years.
Together they raised three wonderful
children. After the kids were grown,
Julie got sick and died, leaving Bill a
widower at a young age (relatively
speaking).
After Julie’s death, Bill lived alone
for several years, but that can be
tough. Older singles get isolated.
Most of their friends are married, so
they can feel like the odd man out
socially. So Bill became lonely.
After some time, Bill met Debra.
Debra was a lovely lady. Her husband
had also died after they had raised two
children. Bill and Debra grew to love
one another, and they decided to
marry. The kids were actually happy
to see their parents so happy.
Bill and Debra had a happy life
together. They trusted each other
completely. They bought a house
together; they invested their money
together; they had a joint bank
account; and they named each other
as their beneficiaries on their IRAs.
As time when on, Bill noticed that
Debra was forgetting things. It was
almost unnoticeable at first, but it
grew progressively worse. Debra was
finally diagnosed with dementia. Bill
took care of her as best he could, but
he himself was aging. The stress and
strain proved too much, and Bill
died. Since Bill and Debra had not
done any planning, Debra’s kids had
her declared incompetent, and
opened up a conservatorship to
manage her money and pay her bills.
Debra did not survive Bill long, and
she soon passed away. That’s when
Bill’s kids had an unpleasant surprise.
On Bill’s death everything passed
over to Debra, including Bill’s IRA.
It wasn’t a malicious thing, but it just
happened. So when Debra died,
everything went to her children.
Nothing was left for Bill’s kids. Bill’s
kids were understandably upset.
Although you can’t wrap it up in a
nice box and put a pretty bow on it
(or maybe you can), I would like to
suggest a Christmas present for your
family: a well thought out estate
plan. It’s not a cool present, but it
may be one of the best gifts you can
give. Give me a call if you want to
talk. And Merry Christmas!
with estate planning is
always know what to
expect. Fred has gathered
some of the most
interesting examples he
knows into an entertaining
and eduactional book.
at ae t t is available
to order online at www.lawmatters.net
Fred L. Vilbig is an attorney with over 30
years of experience in the areas of wills
and trusts, small businesses, and real
estate. This column is for informational
purposes only. Nothing herein should be
treated as legal advice or as creating an
attorney-client relationship. The choice
of a lawyer is an important decision
and should not be based solely upon
advertisements.
(636) 537-7884 | fvilbig@shandselbert.com | www.law-matters.net
St. Louis County ushers in
changes at animal shelter
By JEFFREY BRICKER
Sam Page has talked a lot about
change in his short tenure as the
County Executive for St. Louis County.
Although change can be defined in
many different ways, recent changes in
St. Louis County have equated to new
faces in vital positions, and St. Louis
County Animal Care and Control
[ACC] is no exception.
That trend continued recently with
the announcement that Mandy Ryan
was being appointed as the new population
manager at the St. Louis ACC.
Ryan is an Ellisville resident who
owns a dog training business and runs
a not-for-profit animal advocacy group
called Missouri K-9 Friends, a fosterbased
501(c)(3) dog rescue group.
Ryan has been an advocate and
friend to canines all her adult life.
“When I was 14 I got my first job
at a kennel walking dogs,” Ryan said,
adding her other professional experiences
included serving as an animal control
officer, a vet technician, and various other
roles at animal shelters and centers.
Accepting the new position was not an
easy decision for her. Ryan knew she would
have to give up her business and step back
from the daily management of Missouri
K-9 Friends. But she felt compelled to take
the opportunity from her understanding of
the current need at ACC.
“I’m going to implement an animal
behavior program. I’m going to be evaluating
all the animals in the shelter and be
regularly evaluating them,” Ryan said. She
also said she plans for a foster program at
the ACC which is something Ryan says
she’s successfully implemented with Missouri
K-9 Friends.
“The rescue community is crucial to the
success of the shelter,” Ryan said. “I know
there’s been controversy recently, but
every decision being made now is in the
best interest of the animals.”
Ryan believes her years of local advocacy
work rescuing dogs will not only equip her
for the new position but also help her win
over other local advocates and ACC volunteers
who have often been at odds with St.
Louis County officials.
“I do know a lot of people in the rescue
community and I know I have their support,”
Ryan said.
She will be on-site in her new job in mid-
December.
Spay and Neutering Program
In addition to hiring Ryan, another major
concern raised by animal advocates around
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Mandy Ryan, President of the Missouri K-9 Friends
and newly appointed Manager of Population
Control at St. Louis ACC.
[Mandy Ryan photo]
St. Louis County is being addressed by
County officials. After several weeks without
a full-time veterinarian on staff, the St.
Louis County ACC announced on Nov. 15
a new initiative to address the health needs
among shelter animals.
The St. Louis County Department of
Public Health, which manages the ACC,
announced that it will contract with outside
providers for spaying and neutering, as
well as emergency surgeries and medical
services. By leveraging outside contractors
for spaying and neutering, the ACC will be
able to overcome what has been a major
obstacle to pet adoption of late.
“Spaying or neutering is the best way
to reduce the number of unwanted and
stray animals, and it’s the right thing to
do for the dogs and cats in our care,” said
Acting Public Health Director Spring
Schmidt. “Alterations must happen before
being adopted, and we are taking the steps
needed to provide those services until new
full-time veterinarians can be hired.”
Rebooting the Volunteer Program
The announcement was the latest in several
major changes at the ACC. The most
controversial change came a few weeks
ago when the Department of Public Health
announced it was “rebooting” its volunteer
program at the ACC. In that process, more
than 400 active volunteers were released
and asked to reapply, be interviewed and
complete a new orientation/training. That
move sparked outrage among animal advocates
who showed up in large numbers at
several St. Louis County Council meetings
See ANIMAL SHELTER, page 18