Animal Legal Defense Fund

ANIMAL LAW UPDATE: Effective August 2024, new legislation in England and Northern Ireland makes dog and cat abduction a crime. This new law makes it clear that animals have a special legal status beyond mere property. Click below to read our full legal analysis.

COMPLAINT FILED: Six Illinois pet stores are violating their respective licenses and the Illinois Animal Welfare Act by offering dogs who are not sourced from animal control facilities or animal shelters for retail sale to the public. We are urging the Illinois Department of Agriculture Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare to investigate, suspend, and revoke the dog dealer licenses for all six licensees.

We've filed a complaint urging the USDA to investigate a puppy mill carrier for deaths during transport. Record obtained reveal that puppy mill transporter, Subject Enterprise, mishandles animals, resulting in their injury and death. Subject Enterprise is the exclusive transporter of JAKS Puppies, a notorious Iowa “puppy mill” broker owned by Jolyn Noethe and Kimberly Dolphin. 

Sponsor the 32nd annual Animal Law Conference! Show your support for animal advocates, get your message in front of our audience of change-makers, and receive awesome perks. Sponsor packages are available at the Presenting, Platinum, Gold, and Silver levels. Read more about our sponsorship opportunities here: https://lnkd.in/g9N88KqJ

Teddy, a 13-pound Shih Tzu mix was shot and killed by a police officer in Sturgeon, MO. Body camera footage clearly shows the small, blind dog posed no threat to the officer or anyone else. This week a federal lawsuit has been filed against the City of Sturgeon alleging that that the City failed to properly train, supervise, and discipline its officer. Attorneys are seeking compensation in excess of $1 million for violation of the rights under the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Tragedies like this are completely unnecessary and avoidable. That's why Animal Legal Defense Fund and the American Bar Association support comprehensive animal encounter training for law enforcement. We're honored to provide a grant to help cover costs for the lawsuit to help get justice for Teddy.

Washington’s Animal Crimes Assistant Attorney General (a position supported by Animal Legal Defense Fund) successfully prosecuted a Snohomish County resident in a case involving cruelty to crows, songbirds, squirrels, and a kitten. In just over two years, the Animal Crimes AAG has successfully tackled a variety of animal cruelty cases involving thousands of animal victims, from companion animals to wildlife, that could not have been pursued so fully but for the dedication and tenacity of this special prosecutor.

NOW STREAMING: the Animal Law Symposium: State Confinement Laws and the Future of Farmed Animal Policy is now available on demand! Watch now to learn more about state-level farmed animal protection and policy and a look ahead at the future of farmed animal confinement bans and how to protect them. https://lnkd.in/gem97KcB

NEW Animal Law Update: India’s Punjab and Haryana High Court denied a petition to avoid criminal proceedings in the case of a reckless driver who hit a group of buffaloes being walked along the road, injuring one and killing the other. In rejecting the petition on the grounds that animals cannot be treated merely as property, the judge implicitly acknowledged the interests of the individual buffaloes — a clear and important distinction that recognizes a legal status for animals independent of their perceived value to humans. Read our full legal analysis.

NEW: We've released a new report showing that consumers increasingly care about the sustainability of food products at a time when misleading “greenwashing” claims have become more prevalent, and companies use so-called “climate-friendly” labels to appeal to shoppers who want to reduce their carbon footprints. In the last decade, misleading “greenwashing” claims have increased in the meat and dairy industries, even though meat requires more land, water, and energy than any other source of protein.

This weekend! Learn how the EATS Act could jeopardize laws like California’s Proposition 12, how the Farm Bill factors in, and the history of this legislation during this year's Animal Law Symposium. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gv_MazXb