Happy anniversary, Edgar - I shall rub your softball shaped head, give you another cookie and dote on you some more. I can think of no better way to celebrate our time together.

The Supreme Court heard oral argument on Tuesday ...

The impact of the Federal District Court's (Western District of Kentucky) memorandum opinion in Louisville Kennel Club v. Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government isn't as bad as you might think from reading the web traffic on this case.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments tomorrow in U.S. v. Stevens, a case involving the sale of dogfighting videos. The sale and possession of such videos has been illegal in the U.S. for a decade, but this case may result in the Supreme Court ruling that video depictions of animal cruelty are protected under the First Amendment.

ALDF Submits Amicus Brief Supporting Anti-cruelty Law

The complexities of the United States v. Stevens case are clarified in this Q & A session with ALDF Attorney Matthew Liebman. Have additional questions? Post them in the comments section and Matthew will answer them on the Q & A page.

How often have you heard the phrase, "the Government has unlimited resources with which to pursue a criminal case?" Defense loyal lobbyists commonly use this rhetoric to secure increased budgets for indigent criminal defense. However, while this statement may be true in a select few celebrated federal cases, nothing could be further from the truth in the vast majority of criminal prosecutions, particularly in the state court system.

Dear Joyce, I can't believe that tens of thousands of horses are slaughtered in the U.S. for human consumption! I feel so helpless. Is there something I can do to stop this outrage?

I recently listened to a podcast on Scout's House Radio entitled, "The Making of Special Needs Pets." In the interview, ALDF's Chief Outside Litigation Counsel Bruce Wagman discussed how humans create special needs companions - special needs companions like Maggie, who, at the age of two, was too fearful to play.

A big part of the Animal Legal Defense Fund's work is to act as voice for animals in the political process. We provide resources to help advocates contact their elected officials and suggest guidelines for strategically working with them to help animals. We draft model laws on all sorts of animal related issues, providing lawmakers who want to take up the cause of animal protection with strong foundations for proposing legislation.

AB 243 has cleared the California Legislature and now awaits Governor Schwarzenegger's signature. ALDF provided research and advice to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office (who championed the proposal) on the drafting of the bill - a process which began more than a year ago.

A rare opportunity to save animals from intense suffering.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund is launching a new annual fundraising contest for our SALDF chapters. The contest challenges our chapters to hold a fundraiser (or fundraisers) of their choice during the fall semester and donate the proceeds to ALDF's legal programs to help animals.

Animal advocate to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

Does your state have the laws necessary to ensure that your companion animal is cared for in the case of your passing?

Jennifer from the United States Equine Rescue League recently sent us these wonderful pictures of Gracie kicking up her heals while her mom Lacy has a bite to eat. Gracie is three months old now and, according to Jennifer, she's growing like a weed.

If you haven't had a chance to watch this video of Jeremy Rifkin, president of the Foundation on Economic Trends, talk about the devastating role factory farms are playing in the climate change crisis, take a moment to watch it now. According to the 2007 report by the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), livestock generate a whopping 18 percent of human-related greenhouse gas emissions—that's even more than the gas-guzzling transportation industry.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced today that Dearborn, Michigan dog hoarder Kenneth Lang Jr is being charged with two counts of cruelty to 10 or more animals, after more than 100 live and approximately 150 dead Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes were removed from the filthy home this past July.

ALDF grant allows for necropsies of Chihuahuas found in Michigan man's freezer.

Farmed animals are among the most abused in the United States, in numbers that are so staggering as to be almost incomprehensible. Investigations and industry whistleblowers have discovered abuses on farms and in slaughterhouses that are so horrific, most people cannot even bear to witness them.

Excluded by most state animal cruelty laws and the federal Animal Welfare Act, farmed animals are particularly at risk for large-scale exploitation and abuse since the advent of factory farms, which mechanized and exponentially expanded the production of animal products at the expense of humane animal care.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently heard arguments in National Meat Association v. Brown, a case in which the meat industry is attempting to invalidate a California law designed to reduce animal suffering and protect public safety.

This week only, ALDF's Farmed Animals and the Law brochures are available for FREE. Hand them out at events, display them at supporting merchants or conveniently leave them on the coffee table for your meat-eating housemates to peruse.

ALDF Attorney Dana Campbell is headed to Daytona Beach, Florida for more than just fun in the sun. On September 14, she will be training the Daytona Beach Police Department how to spot dogfighting operations.

On the evening of September 18, 2009, two winners will be drawn in the "Reaching for the Stars" Raffle benefitting the Animal Legal Defense Fund. What are the prizes you ask?

Animal hoarding is very difficult to prevent, but it can be stopped. Contact your state legislators today and ask them to support a "First Strike and You're Out" law for those who are convicted of animal neglect or cruelty.

When ALDF discovered a chimpanzee named Barney in a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-licensed roadside zoo, he was languishing in solitary confinement on the cement floor of a cage. Deprived of companionship and veterinary care, he suffered from severe psychological and physical distress until he escaped from his cage and was shot and killed by a zoo employee.

In March of 1981, the U.S. Navy secretly shot and killed 648 feral burros at the Naval Weapons Center in China Lake, California. In the organization's first big case, ALDF, representing the Animal Protection Institute and the Fund for Animals, argued that the Navy had violated the National Environmental Policy Act.

Since the very beginning, the Animal Legal Defense Fund has been at the forefront of animal law. There is no other organization that does what we do, and none of it - not a single animal's life saved - can be done without your support.

Happy Birthday, Animal Legal Defense Fund! I'm proud of what we have accomplished and thrilled to still be a part of you. The best is yet to come...

Join us as we celebrate our 30th anniversary!

Volusia County, Florida
Case Closed
Take Action! Support ALDF's First Strike and You're Out law!

On Tuesday, the Animal Legal Defense Fund was back in court fighting for the eight horses who were severely neglected by Robert and Rebecca Collier of Marion, Indiana.

Find out how the field of animal law began and how the Animal Legal Defense Fund was born in this presentation, hosted by the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund of the John Marshall Law School.

I write today to express my deep gratitude to Representatives Sara Gelser and Brad Witt for sponsoring a very important bill on behalf of yours truly and ALDF, namely House Bill 2529. HB 2529 does a number of good things for animals.

Allison Dinsmore, a middle school teacher in Palm Beach County, Florida, is facing felony charges of animal cruelty for allegedly abandoning her two cats for weeks, leaving them to die horrible deaths by starvation in her apartment. Send a polite letter to State Attorney Michael F. McAuliffe, thanking him for his work to date on the case and encouraging a strong and meaningful sentence upon conviction.

Last Saturday, ALDF's founder, Joyce Tischler, was granted the Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award by the American Bar Association TIPS Animal Law Committee for her exceptional work in the field of animal law.

The July/August 2009 issue of GPSOLO magazine is all about animal law, providing tons of information for practitioners interested in the field - and further validating animal law's place as a recognized part of mainstream legal practice.

Which cities have it and is it working?

Farmed animals - those raised for the meat, dairy, and egg industries - are among the most abused in the United States, in numbers that are so staggering as to be almost incomprehensible. Find out how you can help.

The American Bar Association Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Animal Law Committee is honoring Joyce Tischler, Animal Legal Defense Fund founder and general counsel, with the Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award.

Support ALDF's Annual Fund Drive today!

What are you doing to create the change animals need?

Volume 2 of the Stanford Journal of Animal Law and Policy (SJALP) is now online.

Facing over 90 criminal charges of animal cruelty related to animal hoarding, Wanda Oughton pleaded guilty to one criminal count of animal cruelty and was ordered to pay over $35,000 in restitution and fines.

What is the role of empathy in judging and how does it affect animal law?

Veterinarians could face penalities for reporting animal cruelty.

Watch a video of the new foal, who was named "Gracie" by ALDF supporters, take her first steps.

Join the Animal Legal Defense Fund and an international coalition of attorneys, scientists, and animal advocates in opposing the proposed construction of a massive facility in Puerto Rico for the purpose of breeding primates for use in painful and traumatic laboratory experiments.

In March, a New Jersey appeals court ruled that judges can consider the human-animal bond in deciding who gets custody of companion animals when couples separate.

Lawsuit Coincides with Rescue Group's Fight to Prevent the Return of the Eight Horses to the Marion Man Charged with Abusing Them

According to the military newspaper, Stars and Stripes, the 2009 Commission on Military Justice - "comprising law professors, private practitioners and other legal experts" - will recommend that the Secretary of Defense include an animal cruelty Article in the Code.

ALDF helps prosecutor in animal/domestic abuse case

The case of Max the cat is a milestone for animal rights.

You might think that one would have a pretty thick skin after spending close to two decades in the trenches as a prosecutor, where the carnage incurred (inflicted) as part of the human experience is very real and ugly.

Attending court proceedings for criminal animal abuse cases is a great way to demonstrate that your community cares about animal protection and expects zero tolerance for animal cruelty.

The recent case of Cheyenne Cherry, a 17 year old girl who reportedly confessed unapologetically for having tortured and killed a kitten by putting her in a hot oven, has garnered well-deserved outrage from across the nation.

ALDF's report helps add real teeth to laws protecting animals.

U.S. Supreme Court will directly address the issue of animal cruelty.

After Being Named One of Canada's "Best Places to be An Animal Abuser," New Brunswick Poised to Strengthen Penalties for Animal Cruelty

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our summer clerks, who will be spending ten weeks gaining valuable experience working for either our Civil Litigation Program in California or our Criminal Justice Program in Oregon.

While I wouldn't turn down gemstones, platinum, or even costume jewelry, I'm pretty sure the appropriate gift to offer me this month is tofu - I'm celebrating ten years of being vegan.

Have Americans' attitudes towards animals changed? Yes, they have, and it is most obvious in how Americans view their own companion animals.

Court of Appeals to hear case against breed ban.

Morris County, New Jersey
Case Closed
Take Action! Support ALDF's First Strike and You're Out law!

In 2007, the U.S. National Research Council released a report entitled "Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and A Strategy". This Report proposes a new paradigm for toxicity testing, one that moves away from using live animals and replaces them with alternatives, such as cell cultures, tissues cultures, computer models and other methods.

Please help end the abusive practice of transporting horses by double-decker trailers and stop the slaughter of horses for human consumption! Contact your United States Representative today and ask them to support H.R. 305 and H.R. 503.

Send a polite letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service asking them to permanently revoke Michael Sargeant's Class B license.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund would never be able to use the law to advance the interests of animals without the support of legal professionals nationwide. Meet a few of ALDF's pro bono attorneys and learn how each is winning the case against cruelty.

The Michael Vick case made headlines around the nation - and around the globe - but as we know from the number of cases reported to ALDF week after week, dogfighting is a national epidemic.

At 9 p.m. last night, Lacy, the pregnant mare who was close to death when she was rescued from a North Carolina field, gave birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl. Both mother and daughter are doing great.

Animal lovers in San Juan Puerto Rico beckoned ALDF for a visit to observe and assist with local efforts to protect and enhance the lives of animals there, and I happily volunteered to go.

Give prosecutors the tools to go after dogfighters like Michael Vick.

Although animal fighting is illegal in all 50 states, the Animal Legal Defense Fund is working to make such crimes easier to prosecute and punishable by stronger penalties.

When ALDF learned that our case, ALDF v. Woodley, was being featured in the June issue of Oprah's Magazine, O, we were thrilled that this triumphant story of 300+ rescued dogs saved from a life of suffering would reach thousands, if not millions, of people and inform them about the horrors of animal hoarding.

In a dramatic move, Ontario, which last year had the infamous distinction of ranking lowest in the nation for its animal protection laws, moved from worst to first this year due to a host of new laws.

Northwest Territories and Nunavut Worst for Animals, Ontario Takes Top Honors in Animal Legal Defense Fund's 2009 Report

Ontario moves from worst to first.

Matthew Liebman, ALDF's staff attorney, and Bruce Wagman, ALDF's chief outside litigation counsel, were back in court yesterday fighting for Groucho, a horse rescued from a North Carolina field where he and seven other horses were left to starve. Bruce and Matthew visited Groucho at his temporary foster home and Bruce gives us this report.

The story of the Woodley case is beautifully told by journalist, Barry Yeoman and for the first time, millions of people will get an introduction to the gut wrenching, long term suffering that the victims of animal hoarding undergo.

At a hearing today, the court granted the Equine Rescue League's petition and ordered Simpson to pay $1,831, which reflects the cost of nursing Groucho back to health.

Check out this heartwarming tribute to the 325+ dogs rescued from North Carolina hoarders Barbara and Robert Woodley. In its June issue, O, the Oprah Magazine, catches up with a crew of the case's spunkiest survivors.

Help stop animal hoarding! Support ALDF's model law.

Catch up with a crew of the case's spunkiest survivors.

The incredible patience and love of very special volunteers from nearby communities and the foster families who eventually helped them on their way to their forever homes made it possible for the Woodley dogs to have their second chance at life.

Images of the dogs rescued in ALDF v. Woodley, and the conditions in which they were found, leave no doubt that hoarding is one of the most egregious forms of animal cruelty facing communities nationwide.

I spend more evenings than I'd care to admit trying to divine what my dog and two cats are thinking. It is a never-ending source of amusement for me to watch them relate to each other, and to me, and see how they motivate and manipulate each other.

A proposal for mandatory bans on contact with animals following a conviction for animal neglect or cruelty.

U.S. Supreme Court to address animal cruelty in U.S. v. Stevens.

ALDF's newly published Animal Fighting Factsheet and Michael Vick case study.

Palm Beach County, Florida
Case Closed

SALDF's Tulane chapter members began their fall with an unexpected hurricane evacuation but returned to New Orleans within a week, with homes and spirits fully intact.

When it comes to animals, can the privileged get away with murder?

Watch a new video of Twister and River, two of the young rescued horses, and follow our progress in court on May 18th as our team of attorneys fights for permanent custody of Groucho - the neglected stallion who has since been brought to safety, but whose legal ownership is still in question.

A first for the California Court of Appeals.

Video of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Open Program on "Debating Animals as Legal Persons" is now available to watch online. This session explored the legal and normative bases for personhood and why nonhuman animals have been excluded from its ambit.

Leona Helmsley's trustees undermine her wishes to help dogs.

The case of dogfighter Craig Boyd illustrates how failing to prosecute operators aggressively, issuing lenient sentences for the convicted, and completely ignoring accessories to the crime impede efforts to stop animal fighting and all its cruelty.

Animal fighting has been brought to the forefront of the nation's attention by the highly publicized conviction of NFL star quarterback Michael Vick and three of his associates on federal and state charges related to illegal dogfighting.