An elderly woman, who claims her children never visited her during her illness and old age, has decided to leave her $2.8 million fortune to her cats and dogs, according to a report.

The woman from Shanghai, known only by her surname Liu, has excluded her three children from her will and plans to allocate around 20 million yuan ($2.8 million) to her pets, as they have been her only source of comfort in her later years, as reported by The South China Morning Post, citing Zonglan News.

Ms. Liu had originally made a will some years ago, leaving money and property to her three children, but she changed her mind because they did not visit or take care of her—and rarely contacted her—according to the report.

In her revised will, she insists that all of her wealth must go toward caring for her pets and any future offspring, with a local veterinary clinic appointed to manage her estate and ensure the animals are well cared for.

The elderly woman claims that her children never visited her when she was sick. Getty Images Ms. Liu wanted to leave all of her money directly to her pets, but this is not legally possible in China, an official from the Will Registration Centre in Beijing told The South China Morning Post.

“However, there are alternatives to solve this issue,” said Chen Kai.

“Liu’s current will is one way and we would have advised her to appoint a person she trusts to supervise the vet clinic to ensure the pets are properly cared for.”

Another official from the agency mentioned they had informed Ms. Liu about the risks of placing all her money in the hands of the veterinary clinic.

“We told Auntie Liu that if her children change their attitude towards her, she could always alter her will again,” the official said.

The story has sparked a lively online debate in China.

“How disappointed and heartbroken she must have been to make the decision not to leave anything to her children,” one user commented.

It’s not the first time a pet has inherited a generous sum.

In 2020, a wealthy businessman in Tennessee left $US5 million to his eight-year-old border collie, Lulu.

And British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, who passed away in 2010, famously left £50,000 ($97,000) from his £16 million ($31 million) fortune to his cherished dogs, Minter, Juice, and Callum.