Post-conviction ownership bans for animal abuse are a recognized potential legal consequence in at least forty states. In New Jersey, Moose’s Law, a bill which has been proposed since 2012, would prohibit people convicted of...more
The Dallas Zoo has been the target of several criminal acts including animal theft, animal endangerment, vandalism, and suspected intentional injury to a vulture found dead with a suspicious wound....more
As you recall, Governor Christie signed amendments to the New Jersey Animal Cruelty Statutes that repealed the long-standing authority of the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to enforce the animal...more
No, this does not mean what you may think. I believe the best way to protect animals, is to provide for their humane care by their owners. This position is juxtaposed to those who believe animals should be considered...more
A recently enacted Virginia law amending Va. Code § 3.2-6511.2 imposes strict requirements on commercial dog and cat breeders who sell animals “for experimental purposes,” like research. Senate Bill 87, and its counterpart...more
A recent Bill, A2354, introduced in February of this year by New Jersey legislators should be on the forefront of any New Jersey animal owner’s mind. The Bill proposes amendments, bolstering existing animal cruelty statute...more
A Washington Supreme Court found that a person can be a victim of a crime of domestic violence if their pet is subjected to acts of animal cruelty by a partner to cause the person/victim psychological harm. Such cases...more
According to the owners of Sospiro Goat Ranch, a small family goat farm in North Carolina, as reported on their blog, “the Facts About the Attack On Our Farm,” dated 7/4/2018, “vegan terrorists” trespassed onto their farm and...more
Recently introduced Senate bill 4058 would reintroduce third parties into the enforcement, seizure and relocation of companion animals based on alleged acts of animal cruelty after the legislature successfully ousted the...more
Similar to bans on citizen lawsuit based on alleged violations of the Federal Animal Welfare Act (see, e.g., Animal Legal Def. Fund, Inc. v. Espy, 23 F.3d 496 (D.C. Cir. 1994); Peninsula Humane Soc’y v. Walters, No. C 84-2010...more
The plethora of laws banning or limiting sales of dogs from pet stores to families seeking a dog for long term companionship, purportedly passed to shutter puppy mills, have done nothing to improve the lives of dogs bred and...more
Despite having failed to establish next friends standing in Naruto v. Slater, 2018 WL 1902414 (9th Cir. April 23, 2018), PETA recently filed another case based on next friends standing for alleged animal plaintiffs, 30 barn...more
As previously discussed, a Colorado ballot initiative, if sufficient valid signatures are collected, would effectively ban animal agriculture from the State of Colorado if passed. Hard to imagine an initiative that might...more
A referendum that would eliminate animal agriculture in Colorado has passed the initial challenges and has been approved for the collection of citizen signatures. Colorado State Ballot Initiative titled “Protect Animals from...more
Assembly bill No. 5236 was recently introduced in the state assembly that would establish “criminal offenses and civil penalties concerning [allegedly] inhumane confinement of breeding pigs and calves raised for veal.” ...more
On November 19, 2020, the First Judicial Department, Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Court heard oral argument, remotely, regarding the Nonhuman Rights Project’s (the “Project”) appeal of the dismissal of...more
The bill that provides for an advocate in criminal cases in New Jersey, concerning the welfare of care of animals has been reintroduced as A 4533 with additional language which renders it even more problematic for animal...more
A4504, a new bill introduced in the NJ Assembly, would establish the “Stray Animal Study Commission,” to:
"(1) identify and study stray animal and animal control issues in the State, including issues surrounding stray and...more
Instead of amending Moose’s law to remove untenable, unreasonable provisions, last discussed here, the bill was amended to to provide that persons charged with “animal cruelty offenses,” a presumption against being admitted...more
As reported by the Associated Press on November 7, 2019, Sandra, a 33-year-old orangutan that was granted legal personhood by a judge in Argentina has moved to the Center for Great Apes in central Florida after being...more
Bill A-4840 in the New Jersey Assembly, as currently drafted would interfere with the veterinarian-client-patient relationship and a pet owners ability to determine the proper care for their pets, and would provide animals...more
In a prior blog I discussed proposed amendments to Oregon’s animal cruelty statute that would provide for statutory standing to any plaintiff who files a complaint against any animal owner for alleged violations of the...more
An untitled proposal to amend Oregon’s Animal Cruelty statute was posted by the Oregon Secretary of State on November 14, 2018 and is available on its website.
The proposed amendment does not appear to have been formally...more
Stuart Goldman, the former chief humane law enforcement officer for the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals, filed a qui tam complaint against Critter Control of New Jersey, Kewin, Inc. d/b/a...more
Assemblyman Daniel R. Benson introduced a bill (A4298) that would amend “animal cruelty offenses and penalties concerning animal abandonment and failure to report injuring certain animals with a motor vehicle; increases civil...more