Rachel Hirschfeld

Rachel Hirschfeld
Hirschfeld with her rescue animals Swizzle and Topper.
Born	1945/1946
Died	September 28, 2018 (age 72) California, U.S.
Alma mater	Yeshiva University Cardozo School of Law
Occupation(s)	Lawyer Animal rights advocate Author
Years active	1999–2018
Parent(s)	Abraham Hirschfeld (deceased) Zipora Hirschfeld (deceased)
Website	http://pettrustlawyer.com

Rachel Hirschfeld (1945/1946 – September 28, 2018) was an animal welfare attorney specializing in the area of animal law, pet trusts, and pet protection agreements. She co-produced and was head producer of productions of many plays on and off-Broadway such as Oleanna[1] and Blithe Spirit.[2]

Legal career

Hirschfeld was an advocate in the area of pet trusts.[3] When a New York court awarded $2 million to Leona Helmsley's dog, Hirschfeld was quoted in The New Yorker calling it "one of the greatest moments for animals ongoing care".[4] She noted that "It's a landmark case, for a judge to be able to say that we have a case for that amount of money."[4]

Hirschfeld has been either quoted or profiled by news and media outlets in stories about pet trusts and pet rights including ABC's Nightline,[5] The New Yorker,[4] The New York Sun,[6] Newsday,[7] The Today Show,[8] CNN, the CBS Early Show, and The Wall Street Journal.[9]

Hirschfeld died on September 28, 2018, at age 72.[10][11]

Bibliography

• Petriarch: The Complete Guide To Financial and Legal Planning for a Pet's Continued Care (2010) ISBN 0-87051-870-4

References

1. Adam Hetrick. "Mamet's Oleanna, with Pullman and Stiles, Begins Broadway Run Sept. 29". playbill.com.
2. "Oleanna Creative Team". oleannaonbroadway.com.
3. "Estates, Elder Law & Pet Trusts". New York Estate Planning Lawyer.
4. Jeffrey Toobin (2008-09-28). "Rich Bitch: The legal battle over trust funds for pets". The New Yorker.
5. "Fido's Fortune: Millions of Americans are looking into pet trusts, where money is willed to pets". ABC News "Nightline". 2008-11-14.
6. Gabrielle Birkner (2006-05-16). "Six-Figure Bequest Is New Must-Have For Pampered Pooches and Kittens" (PDF).
7. Ellen Mitchell (2006-11-25). "Trust Funds For Ongoing Pet Care" (PDF). Newsday.
8. "Story on Leona Helmsley's Dog with interview of Rachel Hirschfeld". NBC's The Today Show. August 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-12-28. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
9. Rachel Emma Silverman (2007-12-17). "Good Boy" (PDF). The Wall Street Journal.
10. Saul, Emily (October 9, 2018). "Daughter of former Post owner Abe Hirschfeld dies at 72". New York Post. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
11. Monmouth County Surrogate Index of Estates – 1991 to Present

External links

• Profile on pettrustlawyer.com