When Katrina Sharman and I arrived in Perth to continue the Voiceless animal law lecture series, we had a few hours of free time. We decided to take a cab to Fremantle, where the shipping port is and where live animals, mainly sheep and cattle, are shipped overseas.

I want to introduce you to some very special beings. One is Marilyn Mills, who runs a sanctuary for kangaroos. The other special beings are the kangaroos she works so hard to protect.

Write a polite letter to the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services to oppose parole for this dogfighter, who is responsible for the suffering of many innocent animals in this violent bloodsport.

Charleston County, South Carolina
Case Closed

One of the big challenges is the plight of live animals exported by ship to other countries. This is a large industry in Australia. Each year, Australia exports 4 million live sheep to the Middle East and 1/2 million live cattle to Southeast Asia.

Earlier this week the New York Times published an editorial called "Disgusting but Not Illegal," which defends animal crush videos as free speech. Not only does the Times' editorial ignore the reality of these videos, but it also misreads the text of the new bill to ban their sale and distribution.

As I travel through Australia, I am meeting many fascinating and knowledgeable people. Marilyn Mills, of Wildlife Advocate, Inc., runs a sanctuary for kangaroos and described several of the kangaroos who have become treasured members of her extended family.

Check out ALDF's video about the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars and suggestions for what you can do in your community to protect dogs from becoming "hot car" victims.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident" begins the famous line from the Declaration of Independence. I've got my own version: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that one and one is two, that the sky is blue, and that abused animals should not be returned to their abusers.

So I just returned from the Taking Action for Animals Conference in D.C. and have to say that one of the things that I enjoyed most was the banquet performance by Hal Sparks.

In response to recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, Congress seeks to find a narrower road to protecting animals

Today, the Spanish region of Catalonia voted to ban bullfighting, a cruel blood "sport" long entrenched in Spanish culture. The ban -- the first-ever in mainland Spain -- passed with a vote of 68 to 55, and will go into effect in January 2012.

Good news from Congress: last week, the House of Representatives voted 416-3 to pass the Prevention of Interstate Commerce in Animal Crush Videos Act of 2010, which would prohibit the sale and distribution of crush videos in interstate and foreign commerce.

Have you ever felt so passionate about a social issue... yet when you explain your position to others, rather than igniting a similar passion their eyes just glaze over? Since I started learning about the plight of the three elephants at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo a year ago, I've experienced this frustration over and over again.

Sadly, the wild horse roundup in Nevada resumed yesterday despite the death of 21 horses and several others being treated for painful colic and brain swelling due to dehydration and exhaustion.

Help stop this massacre of America's wild horses!

Help stop this massacre of America's wild horses!

Due to South Dakota's consistent low rating in ALDF's annual State Animal Protection Laws Rankings, I read with interest a June 23, 2010 opinion that came down from the Supreme Court of South Dakota: State v. Fifteen Impounded Cats. While the Court's ultimate ruling is a desirable one, I take issue with the underlying reasoning used to get there.

In May 2010, at the Clinton County, New York home of Michael Malpass, police discovered six dead animals along with eighteen cats and three dogs suffering from severe neglect in conditions so filthy that the house was condemned.

Animal Legal Defense Fund Announces Temporary Reprieve for Wildlife Being Illegally Killed in Gulf Clean-Up Efforts

Today, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, along with several other groups, filed suit in federal court against BP for burning critically endangered sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, in violation of the Endangered Species Act and other federal laws.

Immediate Protection Sought for Wildlife Being Illegally Killed in Gulf Clean-Up Efforts

Urge the City of Seattle to stop funding the Woodland Park Zoo's cruel elephant exhibit.

Help win justice for Chai, Bamboo, Watoto and Sri by making a special donation and signing the petition today. Shamefully, the Woodland Park Zoo continues to use taxpayer money to exploit its elephants for profit while failing to provide them with adequate care. Together, we can stop this abuse.

Plaintiffs Protest Cruelty at the Zoo and the Use of City Funds to Support Facilities, Practices that Violate Animal Protection Laws

Clinton County, New York
Case Closed

Whether they are kept as pets, hunted for food, photographed by divers, farmed in hatcheries, experimented on in research, or admired in koi ponds, there is law to address the endeavor. The following are just a few examples of fish and their place in the law.

For a community to effectively address interpersonal violence, it must have tools which allow it to focus on the conduct of the abusers and not be distracted by the social status of the victims.

"Canine CSI? Advances in Investigating and Prosecuting Cruelty to Animals" discussed the latest tools attorneys have available to them when prosecuting animal cruelty cases, from DNA evidence to the data on the suspect's cell phone.

Pennsylvania is the last state to openly practice live pigeon shoots -- an archaic competition where live pigeons are used as shooting targets. Please help put an end to this cruel and barbaric event by contacting your Pennsylvania state legislators and asking them to support House Bill 1411 and Senate Bill 843.

We are delighted to celebrate Gracie's first birthday with you, our members and supporters - the very people who made Lacy and the other horses' rescue possible, and who named Gracie.

Ohio Residents: Take Action! Contact your senator through ALDF's website, and encourage him or her to support HB 70.

While in his last year at Chicago-Kent School of Law, Josh Grant, co-director of the school's Student Animal Legal Defense Fund chapter, wrote an in-depth article discussing Chicago's ban on foie gras.

Confrontation Clause Implications of Admitting Veterinary Records Under the "Business Records" Exception to the Rule Against Hearsay

Make a special Mother's Day gift to ALDF and honor all moms!

Contact your legislators, print posters, educate the public.

Email your representatives today.

Get the information you need to protect animals in your community.

Hialeah, Florida
Case Closed

Last year, Americans spent roughly $18 billion dollars on coffee—and virtually nothing to protect animals from some of the worst abuses imaginable. Is this who we are?

Please show your support for Louisiana's animal abuser registry bill! Call, write and/or attend the hearing for HB 201, scheduled for Thursday, April 29. Please act now!

Great news in California - the animal abuser registry bill was voted out of the Senate Public Safety Committee and is now heading to the Appropriations Committee!

What the Court's decision means for animals.

The United States Supreme Court issued its decision in the case of United States v. Stevens, a constitutional challenge to 18 U.S.C. § 48 ("Section 48"), the federal law that criminalized the sale of depictions of animal cruelty. The Court held that the law violates the free speech clause of the First Amendment and is therefore unenforceable.

On April 2, 2010, a jury found Allison Dinsmore not guilty of felony animal cruelty for allegedly abandoning her two cats for weeks, leaving them to die horrible deaths by starvation in her apartment.

In November 2008, Glynn Johnson, a former L.A. County assistant fire chief, picked up a rock and beat his neighbor's German shepherd puppy, Karley, so viciously that she later had to be euthanized. On January 26, 2010, Johnson was found guilty of felony animal cruelty and faced a maximum sentence of four years in prison. On April 2, he received instead a 90-day sentence and three years' probation for beating Karley.

Only two months after he was convicted for third degree felony assault in a different case, Joshua Ray Gordon, 18, of St. Louis County, Minnesota allegedly assaulted his girlfriend and severely beat a 12-week-old puppy named Griffin.

St. Louis County, Minnesota
Case Closed

NYPD cops prove to be pussycats with hearts of gold.

Since the Animal Legal Defense Fund launched our national abuser registry campaign on February 22 -- the same day California Senator Dean Florez announced an abuser registry bill for that state -- legislators from eight states have expressed interest in abuser registries, and Louisiana introduced its own offender registry bill.

In 1995, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and animal advocates in Oregon made tremendous improvements in the state's criminal anti-cruelty laws when they seized an opportunity presented by the confluence of two events.

Vikki Rene Kittles, also known as Susan Dietrich, Rene Depenbrock, and Lynn Zellan, has a history of animal hoarding that goes back decades and spans the United States from the Southeast to the Northwest.

Bill to make torturing cats and dogs a felony dies in the legislature.

In the world of animal crimes prosecutions, it is common knowledge that those who participate in the underground world of animal fighting have a very real and frequently indulged need to communicate about their illegal exploits.

As California's Senate Majority Leader, I take the job of protecting Californians and their animals very seriously. Experts have proven a strong correlation between violence against animals and incidents of domestic abuse. I believe we should have tough laws in place to protect both people and animals from violence.

Please visit ExposeAnimalAbusers.org and urge your state lawmakers to propose legislation for an animal abuser registry in your state.

Amy Slameka has been with the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office since January 2001. She co-founded the Animal Protection Unit (APU) in 2008 with Rajesh Prasad. The APU is designed to combat the underground criminal community that breeds, trains, houses and sells fighting animals.

Ron Beggs is a fifteen year veteran of the Dearborn, Michigan Police Department. Ron was the detective-in-charge of the investigation into alleged animal hoarder Kenneth Lang Jr. who was found to have over 100 live and 150 deceased Chihuahuas in his home.

Tammy Somers joined the Office of the Indiana Attorney General in October of 2008 as a Deputy Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Division. The Attorney General's Office shut down a puppy mill and removed 74 dogs and four horses, and then shut down a second mill, rescuing nearly 300 dogs.

Tiffany Wasserburger is the county attorney for Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. Tiffany's tireless prosecution has helped provide second chances for countless animals, including Max the kitten.

Gillian "Jill" Deegan is an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in Botetourt County, Virginia. In addition to her other casework, she is responsible for handling all of the animal cruelty and neglect cases in her county.

Evicted in October 2009, Cody and Jessica Manning of El Paso County, Colorado allegedly abandoned their two dogs, reportedly leaving one tied to a tree and one inside a trailer. Please take action and send a letter today supporting this case!

El Paso County, Colorado
Case Closed

I resisted becoming a vegan for a long time, mostly because I had a cheese addiction like you wouldn't believe. The funny thing is, I had several vegans around me at various times who should have been influential.

Two horrific cases involving the abuse and neglect of several dogs have recently come to a close, both ending with jail time for the abusers. Thank you to everyone who sent emails and supported these cases!

New bill allows veterinarians to report suspected cases of animal cruelty.

ALDF would like to recognize the contributions of State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and Assistant State Attorney Michael Von Zamft for their efforts in a brutal crime spree where 19 cats were found killed and mutilated in neighborhoods throughout Florida's Miami-Dade County.

Santa Cruz, California
Case Closed

In December 2009, over 35 animals - including 19 horses and three mules - were seized by authorities from alleged neglect which reportedly included filthy and hazardous stable conditions, inadequate food and water, and failure to provide veterinary care. Paul Anthony Novicki and Rambling River Ranch owner Gina S. Rapuano of New Haven, Connecticut are now facing a total of 33 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty, with Ms. Rapuano additionally facing multiple felony counts of forgery and evidence-tampering. The animals have since been forfeited over to authorities and are recovering.

New Haven, Connecticut
Case Closed

Bob Barker may best be known as the beloved host of the longest running TV game show in history. But "The Price is Right" host is also a long-time advocate for animals and is the keynote speaker at Animal Legal Defense Fund's "Future of Animal Law" conference on April 9-11 at Harvard Law School.

An amicus curiae brief permits a non-party to offer its view of a case, typically premised on either its interest in the outcome or its expertise in the field. The Animal Legal Defense Fund submits amicus briefs in a wide variety of cases, working to advance the interests of animals by urging courts to recognize their own interests and their special value to humans.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said life's most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?" Dr. King devoted his life’s work to causes of social justice and equality. In August 1994, the King Holiday and Service Act designated the King Holiday as a national day of volunteer service. Instead of taking a day off, Americans are challenged each year to celebrate Dr. King's legacy by giving back to their community. So on January 18, please support the Animal Legal Defense Fund in its efforts to end animal suffering and abuse.

Some excellent articles discussing animal law issues have been hitting news stands lately, from pet custody to puppy mills. Here a few stories to check out.

More than 100 live and 150 dead Chihuahuas removed from property

The nightmare began in November 2008 after Glynn Johnson, an assistant fire chief with Los Angeles County, allegedly punched Karley, a six-month-old puppy, with a closed fist repeatedly and then beat her with an 11-inch rock, cracking her skull in three places, breaking her jaw, crushing her nasal cavity, collapsing her ear canal and causing her to lose an eye. Authorities charged Johnson with felony animal cruelty for an assault witnesses say was unprovoked. Johnson's trial begins today.

On April 2, 2010, Glynn Johnson, a former L.A. County assistant fire chief, was sentenced to 90 days in jail for beating Karley, a mixed breed shepherd puppy, so viciously that she had to be euthanized.

Over the last few days, I have received several inquiries about a Pennsylvania case that has been getting considerable media coverage. The headlines read something like: "Hundreds of Dead Animals Found in Philly Home." While the media coverage is less than ideal in its lack of legal detail (and we do not yet have access to any of the incident reports), investigators are quoted as saying this appears to be a case where the suspect practiced some form of Santeria.

John Crosby expressed in a December 2009 news interview that he could not afford to take the dog to a veterinarian, and was unaware of the local prohibition against tethering. The dog was given over to Savannah/Chatham County Animal Control by Ms. Lam, but ultimately did not survive. John Crosby has been charged with tethering and animal neglect.

Chatham County, Georgia
Case Closed

Vermont Supreme Court hears arguments on the "value" of animal companions.

Earlier this year, I wrote an article for O, The Oprah Magazine about 300 dogs who were rescued from an abusive hoarding situation in Sanford, North Carolina. The dogs lived in horrible conditions, and the rescue involved an innovative legal fight staged by the California-based Animal Legal Defense Fund.

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.

Sutter County, California
Case Closed

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.

Does animal law threaten animal research?

Once starved and neglected, Casey is now thriving.

Max can now play, cuddle and catnap without fear.

Podcasts are now available of Animal Law: The Links, The Animal Law Conference at Lewis & Clark, hosted by the Center for Animal Law Studies and the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund at Lewis & Clark Law School.

Back in September, we launched our Support Better Laws for Farmed Animals cause on Facebook, bringing awareness to the fact that there are no federal laws governing the conditions in which farmed animals are raised. If you received our Farmed Animal and the Law brochures, please comment and tell us your story.

While animal hoarding is usually presented in the context of cats and dogs, it is not uncommon for farm animals to be victimized by this type of abuse. Indeed, given the rural, often remote locations chosen by animal hoarders, and the added demands of large animal care requirements, discovery and intervention in these cases is all the more challenging for humane agents.

Harrison County, Ohio
Act now!

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.

Taboo as a subject to be sure, sexual crimes against animals are not exceptional, isolated incidents. Find out which states have no direct prohibitions against the sexual assault of an animal and examples of past cases.

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!!