Animal Law

Girl wins $300K settlement over seizure and slaughter of pet goat

By the time Jessica Long learned where her 9-year-old daughter’s beloved pet goat was, it was too late to save him. Sheriff’s deputies had seized the goat, named Cedar, while he was staying at a Northern California farm. They delivered him to Shasta County fair officials, who claimed the county owned the goat, court documents say. Cedar was later slaughtered, and the family sued county officials.

Nov 5, 2024 3:30 PM CST

Colorado Supreme Court considers whether habeas petition can free zoo elephants

The Colorado Supreme Court considered last week whether five wild-born zoo elephants should be considered "persons" entitled to seek liberty through a habeas corpus petition.

Oct 30, 2024 2:09 PM CDT

‘Spoiled rotten’ beaver caught in dramatic court case over her future

Nibi, a furry female beaver taken in by wildlife rescuers, has become a household name in Boston—and now her future is set to be determined in a court case that has made national headlines and garnered the attention of the state governor.

Oct 4, 2024 8:50 AM CDT

Taking Care of Your ‘Good Boy’: Pet trusts ensure animals live a good life after owner dies

Most dog moms and cat dads accept the hard truth that they will likely outlive their beloved animals. But what happens when pets outlive their humans?

Sep 4, 2024 11:03 AM CDT

DC Circuit rules for PETA in First Amendment challenge to agency’s social media comment filters

The National Institutes of Health violated the First Amendment when it used keyword filters that blocked Facebook and Instagram comments that criticized animal testing, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Jul 31, 2024 2:45 PM CDT

You can’t litigate your way into Kentucky Derby, says Churchill Downs’ general counsel

The Kentucky Derby has long been known as “the fastest two minutes in sports,” but the 150th Run for the Roses on Saturday will take place without Muth, a horse some say may have been the fastest in the field this year.

May 2, 2024 1:56 PM CDT

A love for canines influenced this lawyer’s work to outlaw greyhound racing

People often ask me how I came to become a lawyer for greyhounds. In fact, the dogs led me to law school.

Apr 1, 2024 1:00 AM CDT

Animal rights groups target laws that penalize unauthorized workplace videos

Animal rights groups are going to court to fight “ag-gag” laws, which punish would-be whistleblowers who record activity on farms and at animal procession facilities.

Apr 1, 2024 12:50 AM CDT

Creatures Great and Small

Widely regarded by legal experts as one of the world’s most powerful statutes for protection of wildlife and ecosystems, the Nixon-era Endangered Species Act has halted the decline of hundreds of species along with protecting their habitats. But the unified political support that led to the act has vanished.

Apr 1, 2024 12:00 AM CDT

9th Circuit revives suit to register racehorse as ‘Malpractice Meuser,’ thought to be lawyer jab

A racehorse owner who claims that a First Amendment right to register the name of his thoroughbred as “Malpractice Meuser” can proceed with his federal lawsuit as a result of a federal appeals court's decision.

Feb 28, 2024 2:51 PM CST

Steven M. Wise, legal force for animal rights, dies at 73

Steven M. Wise, a legal warrior for animal rights who argued that chimpanzees, elephants, whales and other highly intelligent creatures have a fundamental right to liberty, no less than the humans who often confined or killed them, died Feb. 15 at his home in Coral Springs, Florida. He was 73.

Feb 21, 2024 11:25 AM CST

Incentivize alternatives to animal research, ABA House says

The ABA House of Delegates on Monday at the 2024 ABA Midyear Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, adopted a resolution urging Congress and federal agencies to promote the development and use of methods that aim to replace, reduce and refine the use of animal models in research and testing.

Feb 5, 2024 12:40 PM CST

Animal Legal Defense Fund fails to persuade 8th Circuit that ‘ag-gag’ laws violate First Amendment

A federal appeals court has upheld two “ag-gag” laws in Iowa in a First Amendment challenge by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and other animal welfare groups.

Jan 9, 2024 12:37 PM CST

Ban on approaching or recording hunters violates First Amendment, 7th Circuit says

Citing the First Amendment, a Chicago-based federal appeals court has struck down changes to a Wisconsin “hunter harassment law” that bans recording and approaching hunters.

Nov 21, 2023 9:32 AM CST

Police shootings of dogs spark Fourth Amendment lawsuits, challenges to qualified immunity

An estimated 10,000 dogs are fatally shot by U.S. law enforcement officers each year, according to the Department of Justice. Some incidents result in lawsuits citing Fourth Amendment violations, including unreasonable search and seizure, and challenge an officer’s immunity. Some generate settlements of more than $1 million.

Oct 24, 2023 1:30 PM CDT