If you dug up deceased billionaire hotelier Leona Helmsley and fished out her heart, you might find a steely little ball of ice-cold lead. Her reputation as a tyrannical harpy is known far and wide.

That said, the news that her 9-year-old white Maltese, “Trouble,” will only be awarded a portion of the $12 million trust promised the little precious upon Helmsley’s passing (which came last year) is causing me something of a moral dilemma: It’s Leona’s money. She should be able to leave it, incontestably, to anyone she wants – including her dog. But $12 million to a pet that doesn’t even have the opposable thumbs to spend it? At least Bubbles would be physically capable of slapping a fat stack on the checkout counter at Pet Supplies Plus.

A New York City judge declared this week that Trouble will have to scrape by on $2 million, as the remainder of his inheritance is to be donated to charity. This is undoubtedly a more practical and morally responsible way to dispense with $10 million. But I’ll bet Helmsley is throwing fireballs all over hell right now. And, in some respects, I can hardly blame her. It seems pretty clear that, in life, she had a healthy disdain for humanity. Should she be expected, in death, to support it by way of an altruistic legal judgment?

Things being what they are, what do you think Trouble (who can probably be expected to live another 6-9 years) should do with his remaining windfall? I’m especially interested to hear from our knower of all things cute, furry, and charitable, Celeste Fraser Delgado.

For the rest of you, whadda you think – diamond encrusted pooper scooper or lifetime supply of filet mignon? We don’t want Trouble to squander his birthright.

And if, like myself, you're pretty sure Helmsley was a crazy old bat, check out this very amusing AOL collection of outrageous wills. Some of them make her look downright sane.

Wendy Case is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Arts & Entertainment.