legal resources

Legal Resources

The Animal Legal Defense Fund provides these resources to help you learn how animal protection laws function within the legal system. The information on this site is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice on any particular matter or as a substitute for your own legal counsel. The use of this website does not create an attorney-client relationship with ALDF or any of its attorneys. The information on this website may not reflect the most recent legal developments.

Animals and the Law

The field of animal law is complex. Use these articles as a guide to understand the fundamentals.

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What You Can Do

Do you need help with a specific legal situation involving an animal? Our guides below are provided with that end in mind.

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Other Resources

dog

How Animals Differ from Other Types of “Property” Under the Law

Our legal system still considers animals to be “property,” in many ways not much different from a table or a chair. But, there are some ways that the law does recognize animals as the living, feeling beings that they are.
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pig

How False Advertising Lawsuits Help Animals

Some producers and retailers market their products in ways designed to trick consumers into believing that their products are “humane” even though they come from animals who suffer in industrialized factory farming facilities.
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puppy

Retail Pet Sale Bans

Retail pet sale bans are a powerful way to fight back against puppy mills, and you could pass one in your own community!
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city hall

Protecting Animals through Local Legislation

The Animal Legal Defense Fund encourages advocates to lobby for stronger animal protection laws in their local communities and can provide guidance to advocates interested in changing laws at the city and county level.
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cow

Innovation in Food Production: Cultivated Meat

Innovators in the United States and around the world will soon bring to market new and transformative products that have the ability to reshape animal agriculture as we know it.
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Animals as Crime Victims: Development of a New Legal Status

Animals as Crime Victims: Development of a New Legal Status

While it may seem like commonsense given how often we hear about animal cruelty crimes, the concept that animals can be crime victims is revolutionary within the legal system.
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The Legislative Process: How a Bill Becomes a Law

The Legislative Process: How a Bill Becomes a Law

Every day, someone reaches out to us to ask, “Why isn’t there a law against this?” The reality is that much animal suffering in the US is legal. With the support of countless advocates, the Animal Legal Defense Fund is working to enact stronger laws.
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pitbull

The PETS Act: Companion Animals Affected by Natural Disasters

Knowing the law is an important part of planning. This is an oversight of the key federal law that affects companion animals in a natural disaster: The Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, better known as the PETS Act.
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Ways to Give

Since 1979, the Animal Legal Defense Fund has been the leader in the fight to win animals the legal protection they so desperately need—and deserve. Your generous support is vital to our continued success.

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