It sounds like an exciting headline, and it definitely is. There’s just one problem with it. It’s completely untrue. There is a Miami home for sale, but it doesn’t actually belong to a dog. The story started years ago, and it’s been floating around online ever since. Gunther, the jet-setting German Shepherd, allegedly had lineage that went back a very long time, along with old money that also went back a long way. It seems like a great way to attract attention to the listing of the house. Even the agent thought it was real, for a time.

But a bit of searching around online shows the hoax, and the truth behind the story. It also shows that the home probably isn’t worth the asking price, and was purchased for far less not all that long ago. The famous pooch who “bought” the home in the past is actually a wealthy and eccentric Italian man, who thought it would make a great reality show idea. The United States doesn’t allow people to legally leave property to pets, but you can make provisions in your estate plan to ensure that they are taken care of should something happen to you. 

Because pets can’t hold title to real estate, Gunther isn’t trying to offload the house he inherited, which was once owned by Madonna. But that doesn’t stop the story from continuing to go around, or the current owners of the house from continuing to take pictures of a hired German Shepherd at the home. It’s a fun story, and it might attract some people who want to check out the house and what it has to offer.

Unfortunately, the house has an asking price that’s much too high for its actual value. Once the story of the canine “owner” evaporates, it’s just an overpriced home on the Miami market that was once owned by someone famous. That’s worth considering, but probably not enough to make buying the house a good idea.

We can help you plan for your loved ones and your pets in your estate plan. To learn more, contact our office today!