
Protecting Our Constitutional Right to Liberty
Animal Legal Defense Fund v. United States of America
The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit to protect Americans’ right to be let alone and to compel federal government action on climate change.
Next Step
Opening brief due
January 21, 2020
The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit to protect Americans’ right to liberty, which courts have called the right to be let alone, and to compel federal government action on climate change.
The plaintiffs include scientists, nature enthusiasts, and wildlife advocates who are no longer able to safely conduct their research or interact with nature because of the increased severity of wildfires, mudslides, and avalanches; disappearing snowpack and edible plants; and flash flooding, all of which have been altered due to damage caused by climate change.
Who is being sued, why, and under what law? The lawsuit has been brought against the United States, the U.S. Department of the Interior and its Secretary, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Secretary, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its Secretary, and the U.S. Department of Defense and its Secretary.
What court is the lawsuit filed in? The United States District Court for the District of Oregon
Why this case is important: This case brings together the animal protection community, environmentalists, and human rights advocates. Animals, the environment, and human beings are all threatened by climate change, and so these three communities are working together with a joint mission.
Climate change caused by carbon emissions presents critical and urgent threats to life on this planet — and to our constitutional rights. A recent study published in Nature finds that human activity has changed more than 77 percent of land, not counting Antarctica. As society becomes increasingly urbanized and digitally connected, the only place where the constitutional right to liberty truly exists is in America’s public lands.
The lawsuit is necessary, because only the federal government has the ability and power to take the necessary actions to reduce carbon emissions to an effective degree.
Recent News
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Lawsuit Filed Against USDA For Lack of Transparency into Inspection Process of Primate Research Facilities
Today, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Rise for Animals filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for the agency’s failure to respond to a request for public records related to the inconsistent inspection process of nonhuman primate research facilities.October 16, 2020 Press Release -
Coalition Files Legal Petition Urging Limitations on Mega Dairies’ Use of Water
Today a coalition of public interest groups, including the Animal Legal Defense Fund, filed a legal petition with the Oregon Water Resources Commission requesting it restrict new mega dairy’s use of groundwater in areas in eastern Oregon where special protections are needed.October 5, 2020 Press Release -
Exposing Animal Abusers: Update on the Animal Welfare Blackout
In early 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) purged tens of thousands of important documents related to animal welfare from the agency’s website. The purged inspection reports documented violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA).September 18, 2019 News
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Challenging the USDA for Public Records of Inspection Process at Nonhuman Primates Research Facilities
Animal Legal Defense Fund and Rise for Animals v. United States Department of Agriculture
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Compelling the USDA to Protect Primates Used in Research
New England Anti-Vivisection Society v. Goldentyer
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Protecting the Psychological Well-being of Primates Used in Research
New England Anti-Vivisection Society v. Perdue
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Since 1979, the Animal Legal Defense Fund has led the charge to win animals the legal protection they so desperately need—and deserve. Your generous gift will assure that we can continue to take on cases that advance the interests of animals.