A woman in Central China's Hubei Province has been told she cannot leave her property to her dogs when she dies, as there is no legal precedent for it in Chinese law. 

Zhao Yuanfang (pseudonym), 58, lives with her two dogs. She is single, has no siblings and her parents have long since passed away, Sanxia Evening News reported on Sunday. 

After retiring, she has spent most of her time with her two dogs. 

Due to worries over her health, Zhao is now making out her will, so that by the time she passes away, all her assets can be given to these two five-year-old dogs, including her 60-square-meter apartment. To complete the procedure, she consulted the Notary Public Office in the Three Gorges area for details. 

One of the officers said that this was the first case of its kind he had seen in his career. He has also referred to the province's notary department to ask for guidance. 

So far, there is no precedent for someone leaving their inheritance to pets or plants in Hubei Province. 

Yan Jining, director of the Three Gorges Notary Office, said that the heirs are required to be individuals, according to China's Inheritance Law. 

As animals, dogs are not entitled to be the subjects of inheritance. Even though Zhao's wish is understandable, and the office is willing to help, there is no precedent to allow work on such a request. 

Xu Yun, a partner at Sichuan Fa Ye Law Firm, told the Global Times that in such a case, Zhao might want to get her will executed in other ways, such as by entrusting management of her property to a third party. 

Jia Ruiguo, a lawyer with Beijing Fangli Law Firm, told the Global Times that as a developing country, China is still in the process of improving its legal system. 

For this specific case, Jia says the biggest problem is that Zhao would have no means to take legal measures if the third party fails to fulfill its responsibility.