California Bull Run

The Great Bull Run was a dangerous and cruel event modeled after Pamplona, in which dozens of panicked bulls are forced to stampede down a narrow track after up to a thousand runners, many of whom are inebriated. The Great Bull Run held runs in several venues across the country, some of which caused serious injuries.

In 2014, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a lawsuit in federal court to prevent the Great Bull Run from taking place in California.

The lawsuit was brought in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California under California’s Unfair Competition Law. This law prohibits businesses from engaging in “unlawful practices.” The Animal Legal Defense Fund and PETA argued that because the Great Bull Run violates California’s animal cruelty statutes, it violates the Unfair Competition Law.

As a result of the lawsuit, the Great Bull Run entered into a settlement, agreeing never to return to the state of California. After the lawsuit and other legal advocacy by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Great Bull Run shut down in 2015.