Beneath Joan Rivers’ brassy public persona was a warm-hearted woman who loved dogs and offered her generous support to many worthy causes.
Her will reflects that: Part of her $150 million estate is going to charities, including Guide Dogs for the Blind, a non-profit school that provides training and support free of charge to the visually impaired.
“Guide Dogs for the Blind has one of the nation’s largest volunteer networks, with thousands of volunteers assisting in the success of our mission,” according to its website. “The human/animal bond creates a ripple that adds meaning and enrichment to each of our lives and strengthens our communities.”
Rivers is also providing for her own four beloved rescue dogs, who visited her in her hospital room while she was in a coma. As the New York Daily News reported in September, the pack has moved in with her longtime assistant, Jocelyn Pickett, who was like a family member.
“I’ve left money so the dogs can be taken care of,” Rivers told the Daily Beast in July. Her only child, daughter Melissa, is the executor of her estate.
Devoted dog mom Rivers once referred to herself as “the Angelina Jolie of barkers,” according to the Daily News.
“Only when you love dogs very much do you let them sit on $300-per-yard French fabric,” she said.
Photo of Rivers and her rescue dog Teegan via Instagram