Sam Simon’s dog at centre of financial battle

A dog belonging to The Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon is at the centre of a costly legal battle.
After his diagnosis with cancer in 2012, the TV mogul made arrangements for his beloved pooch to be cared for by friends in case of his death.
Tyson Kilmer and his wife Alison took custody of the pet, named Columbo, after Simon passed away in March (15).
However, they claim looking after the rescue dog costs around $140,000 (£87,500) a year and the executors of Simon’s estate are refusing to pay.
Kilmer insists Simon urged them to continue with Columbo’s pricey training and holistic therapy, including canine acupuncture sessions, and the bizarre treatment is said to cost them $3,640 (£2,275) per month.
They also claim to be paying out thousands on training, grooming, nutritional supplements and a special gluten-free diet but they cannot afford to foot the bill, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Kilmer tells the publication, “It’s a staggering amount to drop on a couple who have two kids – one of whom is special-needs – and are running a small business.”
Alison adds, “Sam said he was taking care of everything, so we assumed that meant everything. We never asked for him to sign some piece of paper proving it… I wouldn’t have agreed to handle this animal without having a (financial) structure in place.”
A representative for Simon’s estate says in a statement, “(Simon)… allocated reasonable resources for Columbo’s care within the limitations allowed by the trust and the law. However, these generous contributions were met with endless frivolous complaints by the trainer that these funds were insufficient… Nobody is forcing (Kilmer) to take Columbo, or to spend excessive amounts of money on his care.”
The couple is taking legal action in a bid to cover the cost of the dog’s care bills.