Animal Legal Defense Fund Grant Supported Washington Attorney General’s Enforcement of Animal Cruelty Law

On March 27, 2024, a Snohomish County Superior Court judge sentenced a resident following a criminal prosecution by Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office. The resident was sentenced to three years of community custody for mental health treatment. If he violates the terms of community custody, the court may send him to prison for three years and four months.

The lead prosecutor on the case was Washington’s Animal Crimes Assistant Attorney General (AAG), a recently created statewide special prosecutor position supported by the Animal Legal Defense Fund. The organization has supported multiple statewide special prosecutors focused on animal cruelty crimes, including the nation’s first such role in Oregon.

The Washington Animal Crimes AAG is the newest statewide special prosecutor position supported by the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Significantly, this position is housed in the Environmental Protection Division of the state attorney general’s office, enabling AAG Scott Halloran to draw on the resources and expertise of the office for wildlife cruelty cases in particular. In just over two years, the Animal Crimes AAG has successfully tackled a variety of animal cruelty cases involving thousands of animal victims, from companion animals to wildlife, that could not have been pursued so fully but for the dedication and tenacity of this special prosecutor.

In 2023, AAG Halloran successfully prosecuted the Snohomish County resident in a case involving cruelty to crows, songbirds, squirrels, and a kitten. The defendant had repeatedly shot the birds and squirrels, whom he claimed were “pests,” then gruesomely displayed the deceased animals around his property; he also shot an 8-month-old kitten resulting in extensive injuries and large veterinary bills. In fall 2023, the attorney general’s office obtained guilty pleas on two counts of felony animal cruelty (the first-ever cruelty convictions regarding wildlife victims in Washington) and one count of felony malicious mischief.

In 2013, the Animal Legal Defense Fund provided the funding for the first-of-its-kind statewide animal cruelty special prosecutor position in Oregon. In the first 10 years of the position, Animal Cruelty Deputy District Attorney Jake Kamins led or consulted on approximately 600 animal-related cases throughout Oregon. In 2023, Oregon state lawmakers recognized the value of this role by allocating state budget funding to make it permanent under the Department of Justice.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund also provides financial support to the Virginia Attorney General’s Animal Law Unit, which has since addressed animal issues ranging from dogfighting to roadside zoos and beyond. In a recent victory, the office brought a successful prosecution against infamous Tiger King personality Bhagavan “Doc” Antle.