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.
Though Ruled Unconstitutional, Industry Continues Pushing Ag-Gag Laws: Updates in North Carolina, Kansas, Iowa, and Ontario
In the first half of 2020, there were multiple developments in the realm of Ag-Gag laws — so named because they criminalize whistleblowing and undercover investigations in agricultural facilities, thus “gagging” activists and others who expose animal abuse in factory farms and slaughterhouses.
New Kentucky Law Allows Veterinarians to Report Animal Cruelty
Kentucky has amended its law prohibiting veterinarians from reporting suspected animal cruelty. Advocates worked for years to change this law, which had good intentions regarding personal privacy but unintended consequences for animal victims of abuse.
China Reclassifies Dogs from “Livestock” to “Companion Animals”
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and mounting criticism of the dog meat trade from Chinese citizens, the national government of China has issued draft guidelines to reclassify dogs from “livestock” to “companion animals.”
Friend or Food? Companion Pigs Challenge Legal Distinctions
In the U.S., some municipalities are grappling with whether pigs kept as companions should be allowed in residential areas that exclude animals legally defined as “livestock.”
Federal Judge Strikes Down “Lake Erie Bill of Rights”
On February 27, 2020, a federal judge struck down as unconstitutional a first-of-its-kind law granting basic rights to Lake Erie.
Australian State Bans “No-Pets” Policies in Rental Housing
The Australian state of Victoria has enacted important legislation to prohibit landlords from banning companion animals in rental housing.
Michigan Becomes Latest State to Ban Eggs from Caged Hens
Michigan has become the fifth and largest egg-producing state to enact a “cage-free” egg law.
Australian Capital Territory Enacts New Law Recognizing Animal Sentience
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has passed important legislation recognizing that animals are sentient, having the ability to “subjectively feel and perceive the world around them.”
New York Becomes First State to Ban Cat Declawing
On July 22, 2019, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed Senate Bill S5532B/AB 1303, which bans the declawing of cats in the state of New York.
Colorado Passes Animal Possession Ban for Convicted Animal Abusers
Colorado’s new law prohibits those convicted of aggravated animal cruelty from owning, possessing, or caring for a “pet animal” for three to five years from their date of conviction.
New Mexico Bans Coyote-Killing Contests
On April 2, 2019, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed Senate Bill 76, making New Mexico the third state to ban coyote-killing contests.
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$5,000 Reward Offered by Animal Legal Defense Fund in Case of Illegal Coyote Trapping
The Animal Legal Defense Fund, the nation’s preeminent legal advocacy organization for animals, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for illegally trapping a coyote in Essex County, Massachusetts.September 15, 2020 Press Release -
California Slaughterhouse Illegally Uses Vast Quantities of Water to Cruelly Kill Chickens
Animal Legal Defense Fund sues Foster Farms for violating California law by using cruel, water-intensive slaughter method during megadroughtSeptember 2, 2020 Press Release -
Emergency Legal Petition Filed with USDA to End Cruel Farm ‘Depopulation’ Methods
A coalition, led by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, filed an emergency petition with the USDA to prevent COVID-19 relief funds, resources, and any other forms of support from facilitating or compensating for the costs of ventilation shutdown or water-based foam “depopulation” — the mass killing of animals on factory farms.August 25, 2020 Press Release
