Animal Law Update
The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Animal Law Update is a series highlighting legal and policy developments in the rapidly emerging field of animal law.
Clarifying that Fish are “Animals,” Connecticut Bans the Use of Goldfish as Carnival Prizes
With an amendment to its consumer protection law, Connecticut has made it illegal to use fish as prizes for carnivals and other games.
Massachusetts Bans the Use of Certain Wild Animals in Traveling Circus Acts
Effective January 1, 2025, Massachusetts’s Bill S.2189 bans the use of several species of wild animals in traveling shows. The new law, signed by Governor Maura Healy in summer 2024, protects elephants, big cats, nonhuman primates, bears, and giraffes from being exhibited or forced to perform in mobile acts like circuses, carnivals, and fairs.
B.C. Supreme Court Awards Shared Custody of a Dog After Changes to Family Law Act
In a first-of-its-kind ruling in Canada, the Supreme Court of British Columbia (B.C.) has awarded shared custody of a dog, referencing her best interests, animal sentience, and recent changes to the Family Law Act, which differentiate companion animals from other property in divorce proceedings.
Pet Abduction Bill Becomes Law in England and Northern Ireland
England and Northern Ireland’s Pet Abduction Act 2024 makes it a crime to abduct a companion animal.
Florida Prohibits Public Housing Policies that Restrict Dogs Based on Breed, Size, or Weight
While a positive step forward, Florida’s new law could be strengthened by being more inclusive, covering private rentals as well as public housing.
India’s Punjab and Haryana High Court Rules Animal Rights Outweigh Private Settlement
Court’s finding that animal rights transcend a private settlement entered into by the human parties is a striking example of non-anthropocentric jurisprudence.
Texas and Connecticut Enact Post-Conviction Possession Bans for Animal Cruelty Crimes
Texas and Connecticut have enacted mandatory animal possession bans of up to five years following certain animal cruelty convictions.
Delaware Legislation Enhances Protections for Companion Animals in Families
Delaware’s new legislation recognizes that companion animals are left vulnerable when the law fails to clearly differentiate them, as sentient beings, from other property.
Argentine Court Recognizes Visitation Agreement for Dogs in Divorce Settlement
This decision is significant because it handled the care of companion animals within a divorce framework with recognition they are sentient beings who are members of a multispecies family, rather than mere property.
Argentine Court Declares Cougar a “Subject of Rights”
Argentine court has declared a cougar to be a “subject of rights,” providing for her “total freedom” while — in a move noted by some to be contradictory — also granting custody of her to the Buenos Aires Eco-park.
Ecuador’s Constitutional Court Rules Wild Animals Are Subjects of Legal Rights Under the Rights of Nature
In January 2022, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador issued a landmark ruling that individual wild animals are subjects of legal rights under Ecuador’s “rights of nature” constitutional provision. The case involved a woolly monkey who was taken from the wild as a baby and kept unlawfully in a private home for 18 years.
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$5,000 Reward Offered After Rabbits Targeted with Blow Darts in Washington State
Animal Legal Defense Fund offers reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for harming rabbits and other wildlife with blow dartsFebruary 4, 2025 Press Release -
West Virginia is the Only Remaining State That Doesn’t Ban Bestiality
The state is ranked 20th in the 2024 U.S. State Animal Protection Laws Ranking ReportJanuary 30, 2025 Press Release -
Court Allows RICO Lawsuit Filed Against Puppy Mill Broker JAKS Puppies and Associates to Proceed
Class-action lawsuit alleges thousands in California purchased dogs falsely labeled “rescues.”January 29, 2025 Press Release
