I used to dread the holiday season. Like many people, I allowed myself to be burdened with obligations that felt overwhelming. I've let go of a lot of those obligations and in recent years, I've begun to concentrate more on what the spiritual meaning of the season is.

Great year-end news for homeless Kentucky animals!

Why are certain states in the dog house when it comes to getting tough on animal abuse?

ALDF releases annual report ranking animal cruelty laws across the nation.

This report - the only one of its kind in the nation - ranks the animal protection laws of every state based on their relative strength and general comprehensiveness.

Thanks to ALDF supporters, this puppy has a warm, loving home this holiday season.

Jozie has taught me a lot about life in our time together. I don't know how much time she has left with us, but she's making the most of it, and so will I.

Please take a few minutes to complete this important survey about the value of companion animals.

I have long been an advocate of keeping animal abusers out of shelters and on more than one occasion I've criticized a judge for ordering a defendant convicted of animal abuse to work off community service hours at the local animal shelter. However, as life has a way of proving, sometimes there are exceptions to the general rule.

One of the driving issues behind the field of animal law is the disconnect between the law's description of animals as "property" with the understanding so many of us have that animals are much more than that - most of the tens of millions of Americans who share their homes with dogs, cats, and other animal companions would agree that they are, most definitely, members of the family.

I finally made it to my first animal law conference! After almost two years as ALDF's media relations associate, I felt it was time to schmooze with the who's who of animal law. Hosted by The Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark, in collaboration with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, it's the longest running animal law conference in the nation.

Following a three hour deliberation yesterday, a Carter County jury found Antonio Ray not guilty of animal cruelty. The defense had presented the argument that Ray did not realize he was dragging his dog behind his bicycle for approximately 1/4 mile.

Mention the word "bestiality" and you'll likely elicit one of two responses: kindergartner-like snickering, or horror. ALDF works to raise awareness of the problem so we can attack it with criminal consequences.

Today's the day!! Between now and 3 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, October 27, ALDF is making the push to win the America's Giving Challenge daily $1,000 challenge, in honor of a pit bull in Oklahoma allegedly dragged to his death behind a bicycle - his abuser's trial is on Tuesday!!

Concord Resident's Lawsuit Alleges Discrimination as She Fights Eviction from Her Mobile Home Park Residence of Nineteen Years

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.

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.

On September 18, over 125 human guests, and about 70 of their dogs, enjoyed an evening of music, dancing, food and fun aboard Watermark's Harbor Queen in Annapolis, Maryland.

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.

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.

Victims of North Carolina Animal Hoarders Celebrate New Life with Maryland Adoptive Families

Cruise with your canine companion aboard Watermark's Harbor Queen on Friday, September 18, at Little Ben's Fourth Annual Cruise for Compassion fundraiser in Annapolis, Maryland. This annual event hosted by Michelle and Larry Kownacki, owners of Paws pet boutique, is an evening filled with music, food, fun and an out-of-this-world silent auction.

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

While there are always many important issues to blog about here at ALDF, once in awhile, especially during these dog days of summer, a little levity seems warranted. So please accept this post in that vein.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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?

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.

Veterinarians could face penalities for reporting animal cruelty.

If it's so outrageous and incomprehensible that a man would put a shock collar on his children and later use it to taunt them - and it is without a doubt all of that - why is the public not similarly outraged by its use on family dogs?

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.

Two misdemeanor counts of animals cruelty against Christopher M. Comins have been upgraded to the felony level. A hearing date has been continued until June 26, 2009. Locals are encouraged to support the prosecution and attend the court proceedings.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

A first for the California Court of Appeals.

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.

This comprehensive resource discusses the most common types of animal fighting, issues common to animal fighting cases, state and federal laws and prosecuting animal fighting crimes.

Breed-specific bans and restrictions are extremely problematic. Dangerous dogs can be of any breed, or of mixed breeds. Such bans are not only difficult to enforce, but they also unfairly penalize those dogs and guardians who are behaving in accordance with the laws, while doing nothing to address one of the root causes of dangerous dogs – irresponsible guardians.

Addressing the issue of aggressive dogs in a non-breed-specific fashion, focusing on the behavior of individual dogs, not on their breed.

Ask Joyce: I'm worried about who will care for my cats, Bob and Alice, when I die. My family is gone, and I have no friends who can take care of them. What do I do?

Court orders county shelter to improve conditions by July 1st.

Carter County, Oklahoma
Case Closed
Take Action!

Martin County, Texas
Case Closed
Act now!

Everyone is eager to hear the final word on the Obama family's new dog, and it looks like we’ll get the chance in mid-April.

Flea and tick season are fast approaching, and it's time to start thinking about how to combat these pests to keep our pets comfortable, safe and healthy. In years past, I've been diligent about regularly applying topical flea and tick control to both my cats and dogs during the time of year when these pests are at their worst. However, more and more information is coming out about the dangers of these pesticide products, which has me reconsidering my use of them.

ALDF’s Litigation Program scored a pair of important legal victories in the past two weeks, both of which will significantly push forward our lawsuits to protect animals.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund is proud to have Congressman Cohen as a co-sponsor for National Justice for Animals Week. Congressman Cohen sponsored Tennessee's T-Bo Law, the nation's first-ever statute providing for noneconomic damages, up to $5000, in cases of intentional or negligent acts resulting in the death of a companion dog or cat.

Most recently, Mr. Brandes has been working on prosecuting large scale breeders, including a case in which more than 130 dogs were seized from the property of defendant Mahlon "Pat" Patrick.

Ms. Trout, with the assistance of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, has prevailed in securing a conviction by jury for animal abuse in the case against the owner of Puddles, a 13-year-old Bichon Frise who had suffered such severe neglect that he had to be euthanized.

The majority of Dr. Ferris' emergency response activities involve large scale animal hoarding cases and dog fighting seizures rather than natural disasters. Dr. Ferris is a sworn animal cruelty investigator and teaches animal cruelty investigation courses for veterinary students and other cruelty investigators across the state.

Some months back, I was sent a video of men taunting a crippled dog in a foreign desert. They were laughing as they pelted the dog with rocks. Their victim, already suffering miserably, tried her best to escape the vicious onslaught.

Joyce Tischler, ALDF founder and general counsel, recently talked with Scott Drake of Speaking of Justice about a lawsuit filed by the Humane Society of the United States against six of the nation's largest retailers and fashion designers for engaging in false advertising and mislabeling of fur garments. The complaint, filed in December, 2008 in D.C. Superior Court, names Andrew Marc, Dillard's, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue and claims that these retailers and designers misrepresent fur products by labeling and marketing them as faux fur when they are real fur. The suit also claims that those mentioned advertise and label products as common raccoon, fox or rabbit when actually made from raccoon dog, a canine species from Asia.

The SALDF chapter at the University of Houston has had its ups and downs this past year, but has managed to stay focused on their primary objective - making the world a better place for all creatures, one step at a time.

Animal Legal Defense Fund Releases Annual Report Ranking Animal Cruelty Laws Across the Nation

This report - the only one of its kind in the nation - ranks the animal protection laws of every state based on their relative strength and general comprehensiveness.

Sherman v. Kissinger Ends With a Victory

Washington County, Oregon
Case Closed
Act now!

Orange County, Florida
Case Closed