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.
Animal Cruelty Charges Dropped Because Fish Are Not “Animals” Under North Carolina Law
Animals are defined as “property” under U.S. law, which complicates efforts to advocate for them through the legal system. Property classification is not the only aspect of animals’ legal status that presents challenges.
Federal Farm Bill Includes Important Protections for Animals
The sweeping Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 — an omnibus federal law passed approximately every five years, commonly known as the “farm bill” — included several important provisions, including some victories for animals.
Guam Prosecutes First Felony Animal Neglect Case
When Guam enacted a felony animal cruelty law in 2011, the U.S. territory moved up 18 places on the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Animal Protection Laws State Rankings, showing the second most improvement of U.S. states and territories that year.
New Jersey Appellate Court Upholds Bear Hunt Ban on State Lands
In 2003, after a 33-year hiatus, the New Jersey Fish and Game Council reauthorized the hunting of black bears. In the years since, the bear hunt has frequently been the subject of litigation, and has been halted by some governors and reinstated by others.
Ninth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Almond Milk Labeling Lawsuit
In an unpublished opinion issued December 20, 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of a class action against Blue Diamond Growers. The lawsuit alleged that the company’s almond milk products were mislabeled under FDA law.
Virginia Court of Appeals Upholds Bestiality Law
On January 15, 2019, the Virginia Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction of a man who was charged with violating the state’s bestiality law after videotaping encounters he had with a woman and her dog.
New York Expands Law Allowing Companion Animals on Public Transit in Emergency Evacuations
In October 2018, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation permitting companion animals to board any public transportation service in the event of a state of emergency and evacuation.
Wins for Animals in the 2018 Midterm Election
The recent midterm election included two big wins for animal protection: Amendment 13 and Proposition 12.
New York Distinguishes Animals from Other Property in Eviction Cases
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the “No Pet Left Behind” law in August 2018. The new legislation requires officers enacting an eviction warrant to check the premises for companion animals and to coordinate their safe removal.
California Enacts Law Requiring Plant-Based Options in State Facilities
In September 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 1138, a law that makes California the first state in the nation to require prisons, hospitals, nursing homes, and other state-operated facilities to offer plant-based meals.
Related
-
$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
