§560:7-501 Trusts for domestic or pet animals. (a) A trust for the care of one or more designated domestic or pet animals shall be valid. The trust terminates when no living animal is covered by the trust. A governing instrument shall be liberally construed to bring the transfer within this section, to presume against the precatory or honorary nature of its disposition, and to carry out the general intent of the transferor. Extrinsic evidence shall be admissible in determining the transferor's intent.

(b) A trust for the care of one or more designated domestic or pet animals shall be subject to the following provisions:

(1) Except as expressly provided otherwise in the instrument creating the trust, and notwithstanding section 554A-3, no portion of the principal or income of the trust may be converted to the use of the trustee or to a use contrary to the trust's purposes or for the benefit of a covered animal;

(2) Upon termination, the trustee shall transfer the unexpended trust property in the following order:

(A) As directed in the trust instrument;

(B) If there is no such direction in the trust instrument and if the trust was created in a non-residuary clause in the transferor's will, then under the residuary clause in the transferor's will; and

(C) If no taker is produced by the application of subparagraph (A) or (B), then to the transferor's heirs, determined according to section 560:2-711;

(3) The intended use of the principal or income may be enforced by an individual designated for that purpose in the trust instrument or, if none, by an individual appointed by a court having jurisdiction over the matter and parties, upon petition by an individual;

(4) Except as ordered by the court or required by the trust instrument, no filing, report, registration, periodic accounting, separate maintenance of funds, appointment, or fee shall be required by reason of the existence of the fiduciary relationship of the trustee;

(5) The court may reduce the amount of the property transferred if it determines that the amount substantially exceeds the amount required for the intended use and the court finds that there will be no substantial adverse impact in the care, maintenance, health, or appearance of the designated domestic or pet animal. The amount of the reduction, if any, shall pass as unexpended trust property under paragraph (2);

(6) If a trustee is not designated or no designated trustee is willing and able to serve, the court shall name a trustee. The court may order the transfer of the property to another trustee if the transfer is necessary to ensure that the intended use is carried out and if a successor is not designated in the trust instrument or if no designated successor trustee agrees to serve and is able to serve. The court may also make other orders and determinations as are advisable to carry out the intent of the transferor and the purpose of this section; and

(7) The trust is exempt from the operation of chapter 525, the Uniform Statutory Rule Against Perpetuities Act. [L 2005, c 160, §1]