Animal Law

Wis. Appeals Court Orders Man to Turn Over Claimed Roadkill Deer Trophy

It’s too late for John Longo to return the deer carcass he is accused of taking from beside a Wisconsin roadway without a permit: He ate it. But a state appeals court has ordered the 69-year-old to return the head, which he had mounted, to state wildlife officials, reports WKOW-TV.…

Jul 1, 2009 5:08 PM CDT

Ore. Woman Convicted of Feeding Bears Must Leave Home for 3 Years

A 61-year-old Oregon woman who was convicted of feeding wild bears at her home, even after neighbors reportedly warned her not to do so, has been sentenced to stay away from her own home for three years. As a special condition of her three-year probation for chasing and harassing wildlife,…

Jun 26, 2009 8:37 PM CDT

Libel Suit Over Foie Gras Video That Prompted ‘Silliest Law’ Settles

A suit filed by an animal rights activist who claims he was defamed by a California-based foie gras producer has settled for an undisclosed sum. Underlying the issues in the suit was a reportedly gruesome video that spurred a national debate and led to a short-lived ordinance in Chicago barring…

Jun 18, 2009 12:50 PM CDT

‘Stealth Coop’ Can Smooth Neighbors’ Ruffled Feathers Over Backyard Chickens

Although some neighbors are squawking about a potential farm nuisance in an urban area, backyard chickens are a growing trend in cities throughout the country. Among those now struggling with the issue are officials in New Haven, Conn., who held a contentious public hearing on the issue this month, reports…

Jun 15, 2009 8:53 PM CDT

Woman Sues Wal-Mart Over Alleged Encounter With ‘Norman,’ a Nutria

A lawsuit filed by a Louisiana woman over foot injuries she allegedly suffered while shopping at her local Wal-Mart store has made international headlines because of the claimed cause of the action: Norman the Nutria. Rebecca White says in her lawsuit that she was pushing a full shopping cart when…

May 8, 2009 7:12 PM CDT

Pet Sitter Gets Probation in Cruelty Case Over Too-Fat Pig

Agreeing with the owner of a potbellied pig that a pet sitter abused the animal by letting it go hog wild at mealtimes and in between, a judge in Minnesota has sentenced the sitter to one year of probation for animal cruelty. Mary Beesecker, 53, who lives in Houston, Minn.,…

Apr 14, 2009 4:30 PM CDT

Feral Pig Puts Real-Life Capt. Ahab Figure in Potential Criminal Pickle

For three years, Jody Cyr has been seeking without success to kill a feral pig on his 400-acre property in Coos County, Oregon. Now, adding insult to injury, the real-life Captain Ahab figure is afraid state lawmakers will make make his futile hunt even more frustrating. Proposed legislation would make…

Apr 14, 2009 12:28 AM CDT

Ex-Spouses Ask Mich. Judge to Decide Custody of Dog Semen

Given the unusual nature of the case before her, a Michigan family court judge couldn’t help asking herself an unusual question: Was she on Candid Camera? But no, it wasn’t a joke or a set-up for the well-known television program. A divorced couple really did want Judge Cheryl Matthews to…

Apr 10, 2009 5:13 PM CDT

Parrot Appears in Palm Beach Court, Doesn’t Squawk About Justice

Finders aren’t keepers, as far as lost animals are concerned. So a Florida judge today returned an African Grey parrot who flew the coop three years ago to his original owner, after the celebrity bird appeared at a court hearing surrounded by a flock of media, reports the South Florida…

Apr 6, 2009 7:27 PM CDT

Swiss Law Protects Goldfish, Guinea Pigs—But Not Popular Baby Hippo

Under Swiss animal-rights provisions, guinea pigs must be kept in pairs to prevent loneliness and unwanted goldfish must be rendered unconscious before being flushed down the toilet. But there is no protection under Swiss law for a superstar baby hippopotamus at the Basel Zoo facing a likely death sentence. Four-month-old…

Mar 13, 2009 7:16 PM CDT

Airline Ban on Flying Small Pets Forces Elderly Owner to Give Up Guinea Pig

Most airlines won’t allow Scotty to fly in the cabin at all. And United, which would have welcomed the house-trained guinea pig, charges $200 to bring him aboard as carry-on luggage. So that means Bessie Ciarcia, 82, and her husband are going to have to give him up, since they…

Feb 26, 2009 6:25 PM CST

Walking a Pit Bull is Like Carrying a Gun, Texas Legislator Says

A proposed Texas law that would make it a crime for children under 16 to handle or care for pit bull dogs has raised hackles amongst a number of individuals in the state. Such breed-specific legislation is routinely opposed by animal welfare groups, and the proposed law also covers animals…

Feb 26, 2009 6:09 PM CST

Does Helmsley Fortune Go to the Dogs? Trustees Will Decide, N.Y. Judge Says

A New York judge has ruled that trustees of a fund established under the will of hotel heiress Leona Helmsley have sole discretion to determine how much of her multibillion-dollar estate will go to the dogs. A mission statement filed in 2004 said that the first purpose of the Leona…

Feb 26, 2009 1:14 AM CST

Experts Advise on Key Custody Issue: The Family Dog

A divorcing spouse may think his or her dog will be bereft without a favorite human at hand. But actually the most stressful part of a divorce for some canines is the lack of routine that results, reports the Asheville, N.C., Citizen-Times. “We’ve had cases where, just like the parents…

Feb 9, 2009 7:35 PM CST

Circus Accused of Elephant Cruelty in Trial Beginning Today

An elephant abuse lawsuit against the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is a major test of protections for captive animals under the federal Endangered Species Act. The suit by animal welfare groups seeks an injunction to stop the circus from chaining the elephants, using sharp tools called bullhooks…

Feb 4, 2009 1:41 PM CST