Tennessee man leaves $5 million to pet border collie

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A watchdog in Tennessee can now afford to hire her own security staff.

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Lulu, an 8-year-old border collie in Nashville, inherited $5 million from her owner who died late last year, WTVF reported.

Charles William “Bill” Dorris died Nov. 24, 2020, according to his obituary. He was 83 and unmarried.

Dorris, a successful businessman in Middle Tennessee, had a soft spot for Lulu. Because he was always on the road, Dorris left the dog with a friend, Martha Burton, according to WTVF.

“Yes, she’s a good girl,” Burton, 88, told the television station. “Oh yes, (Dorris) loved that dog.”

According to Dorris’ will, $5 million “will be transferred to a trust to be formed upon my death for the care of my border collie, Lulu,” WTVF reported.

“I don’t really know what to think about it, to tell you the truth,” Burton told the television station. “He just really loved the dog.”

While the dog will be provided for, the will dictated that Lulu will remain in Burton’s care.

The estate is currently in probate. The trust for Lulu will be handled by a conservator who will approve and reimburse Burton for expenses to care for Lulu, WTVF reported.

Dorris was the owner of a controversial statue of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. The statue sits on property owned by Dorris that overlooked Interstate 65, WZTV reported. The statue has been vandalized several times over the years, and pink paint was thrown on it in 2017, the television station reported.

Dorris also had plenty of real estate investments in the Nashville area, so his actual worth has not yet been determined.

Burton said she knows there is no way she could spend $5 million on Lulu, but added, “Well, I’d like to try.”

Cox Media Group