Bill Gates, with his Microsoft empire, is one of the richest men in the country. Donald Trump is not that bad off either.

But what if 20 years from now, the richest billionaire is not even human?

What if instead of walking on two legs and having two arms, the richest billionaire has four fury legs, a wet tongue and — for some bizarre reason — looks a lot like Lassie?

In fact, she kisses a lot like Lassie too.

The only reason this little collie is so rich is because her master, Mrs. Animaniac, decided to leave her estate to the lovely dog. In just a minute, the dog has become the wealthiest five-letter word in existence.

There has been a popular trend forming within the last two years: People have been leaving money to their pets.

Now little Spot, a puppy who runs through the trap door in the kitchen to relieve himself outside on a fire hydrant, could be worth $20,000.

Skipper, an alley cat whose favorite hobby is nosing through trash cans looking for leftover hamburgers, might have millions of dollars in a bank account under her name.

And to give a real life example: A couple of years ago, a woman in Dallas left each of her three cats — Mishka, Nickolai and Alexi — $25,000. She wanted them to live comfortable, luxurious lives. She had said she wanted to make sure her felines would be well cared for.

While children are starving for food in Somalia, cats and dogs are living the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Cats, dogs, rabits and even mice are taken to salons to get their hair done.

When did animals become more important than human beings?

Not only are pets becoming wealthy beneficiaries, people are spending too much time with them.

Don’t get me wrong — I love animals. In fact, I have a cat that I adore. She’s cute and lovable. Everytime I go out on a trip, I know I’ll surely miss her.

However, I don’t spend more than I need to taking care of her. There’s only the usual veterinarian fees, her litter and her food.

The money spent on the pet industry is ridiculous. People spend tremendous amounts on their pets. Setting aside the usual veterinarian appointments and the food, people pay for silly little items they believe their pets will enjoy.

During Halloween, people worry about what their dogs will wear as costumes. In fact, some companies make costumes specifically targeted for dogs, such as Super Dog and Bat Dog.

Other people set up hotels and motels for pets. While it’s understandable to have a place where people can drop off their animals during a vacation, there’s no point in pampering each pet with a blanketed bed. There are even cat magazines.

The money used to publish these magazines, build pet salons and establish pet hotels could go to better places. This money could be spent helping the number of people living on the street each night try to find homes. The greenbacks could help fund research for curing life-threatening diseases like cancer and AIDS.

People need to put things into perspective. Animals are cuddly creatures, and yes, they are good companions. But there is something wrong in a system where people spend millions of dollars each year caring for their pets, while government officials are struggling to find ways to care for human beings who can’t even meet their basic needs.

R.H. Aly is The Lantern campus editor and can be reached for comment at [email protected].