About Animal Legal Defense Fund
We use the legal system to help all kinds of animals.
Young chimpanzees on movie sets are “trained” through regular beatings and then discarded around age 8 when they become too large to control.
Severe arthritis and foot infections are common in captive elephants due to standing on hard, unnatural surfaces all day without room to roam.
Some roadside zoos declaw tiger and lion cubs – a serious surgical procedure in which a cat’s toes are amputated at the last joint. Declawing is extremely painful and causes permanent disability.
Wild dolphins swim up to 40 miles day with the other members of their pod, while captive dolphins are forced to swim in tiny pools with unfamiliar dolphins day after day.
Kept in barren cages rarely larger than 20 by 20 feet, bears in roadside zoos spend their days pacing, sleeping abnormally long periods of time, and bobbing their head – all indications of extreme psychological distress.
Big cats, such as lions and tigers, used in circuses are forced to live in tiny cages that are transported across the country. Animals are forced to sleep, eat, and defecate in the same small area.
Our work produces important results.
Some of our most important recent victories include:
Lions & Tigers & Bears
In 2016, we won the first case using the Endangered Species Act to rescue tigers and lemurs from a roadside zoo. Since then, the Animal Legal Defense Fund has rescued two lions, a tiger, four bears, a wolf, a bobcat, a coatimundi, four lemurs, six arctic foxes, and four cavies from roadside zoos using the ESA.
Striking Down Ag-Gag Laws
“Ag-Gag” laws criminalize undercover investigations on factory farms and other agricultural facilities. These investigations expose the animal cruelty and “industry standard practices” of slamming piglets to death on floors and mother pigs in crates so small they can’t stand up or turn around. Animal Legal Defense Fund lawsuits have struck down Ag-Gag laws in Idaho, Utah, and Iowa – and we have pending litigation in North Carolina and Kansas.
Justice for Cats, Dogs, and Turtles
Police were shocked to find 55 cats, 12 dogs, and two turtles in a flea-filled New York City home, where the smell of ammonia was so strong that rescuers had to wear respirators and protective clothing. The Animal Legal Defense Fund advised and assisted prosecutors, and thanks to these diligent efforts, in March 2018, Elizabeth Grant was found guilty of 108 counts of animal cruelty, failure to provide proper sustenance, and failure to provide proper food and drink to an impounded animal.
More than 80% of the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s annual budget goes directly to our program work.
Taking on Wildlife-Killing Federal Agency
Wildlife Services is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that runs the notorious federal wildlife-killing program. Funded by taxpayer dollars, Wildlife Services kills millions of native wild animals annually in service to ranchers and farmers. In August 2018, a California court ruled in favor of a coalition of wildlife protection groups, led by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, challenging Monterey County, California’s contract with the USDA’s Wildlife Services. Three California counties have terminated contracts with Wildlife Services thanks to our litigation and advocacy.
Unhappy Hens
Trader Joe’s has tried to trick customers into thinking its eggs are produced by chickens in green pastures. Eggs were deceptively labeled as being “cage-free,” misleading consumers seeking out eggs from hens raised in more natural conditions. The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s lawsuit led to Trader Joe’s agreeing to discontinue the use of the misleading packaging nationwide.
Your generous support is vital to our continued success.
Donate to Protect Animals
Help animals win the legal protections they so desperately need and deserve, and ensure they have an advocate in courtrooms and legislatures across the country.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund is proud to be a four-star Charity Navigator rated nonprofit, Platinum-level GuideStar Exchange participant, a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity, and have been awarded the Independent Charities Seal of Excellence, ensuring that we meet the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness. The Animal Legal Defense Fund is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization and relies almost entirely on individual, tax-deductible contributions from caring members and donors like you.