National Justice for Animals Week

Animal Representatives

Alice, Esme, and Emmett were once a part of Washington State’s crow population who made their home in a Snohomish County neighborhood. When a resident of that neighborhood started injuring and killing wildlife in his backyard, these three crows became victims who did not survive his cruel attacks. Alice, Esme, and Emmett suffered injuries at the hands of the offender that prevented them from escaping the yard, where he ultimately killed them. Their bodies were then grotesquely put on display for all to see.  

Authorities in Washington conducted an extensive investigation into these incidents of animal cruelty and discovered additional wildlife who had suffered fatal encounters with the offender, as well as an eight-month-old kitten who had lost his eye and suffered a broken jaw. Through the course of the investigation, the offender referred to the animals — specifically the wildlife victims like Alice, Esme, and Emmett — as “pests.”  

The case was tried by Washington’s Animal Crimes Assistant Attorney General Scott Halloran, whose position had recently been created by the state and supported by the Animal Legal Defense Fund. The offender was charged with multiple felony counts of criminal animal cruelty, and the violence that Alice, Esme, and Emmett experienced represented three of those felonies. Thanks to Halloran’s dedication and hard work, the defendant was convicted of three counts of felony animal cruelty, representing the first ever felony convictions for wildlife victims in the state. The defendant is serving a sentence of over three years in prison and owes thousands of dollars in restitution.  

In 2013, the Animal Legal Defense Fund provided the funding for the first-of-its-kind statewide animal cruelty special prosecutor position in Oregon, which has since been adopted as a state-funded position. The Animal Legal Defense Fund also provides financial support to the Virginia Attorney General’s Animal Law Unit. 

Read about previous years’ representatives.

Take Action

Here are actions you can take to raise awareness about animal crime victims.

• Familiarize yourself with your state animal protection laws.
• Have a plan: identify which agencies in your community are responsible for responding to criminal animal cruelty — and know how to report to them if you witness a crime against an animal.
• Sign up for Action Alerts so you can take action on national and local animal issues.
• Don’t just read the news — make it! Write a letter to the editor about an issue involving animals in your area.
• Connect with the Animal Legal Defense Fund onFacebook,Instagram and Twitter. Share this page with #NJFAW, #Justice4animals and #aldf!
• Join the Animal Legal Defense Fund Student Chapter at your law school. Chapters are encouraged to host events to raise awareness about criminal justice issues in animal law. Please see the list of suggested events and projects below.

Suggested Events & Projects for Student Chapters

• Hold a virtual film screening through Netflix Party, TwoSeven for other streaming services, or another online connection tool and host an online discussion via Zoom afterward.
• Host a guest speaker online. Boost event attendance by hosting the event in collaboration with other student groups.
• Apply for a project grant to support your event or serve plant-based food at in-person events (or virtual events through restaurant gift cards given to attendees).
• If you live in New York, New Jersey, or Florida, help us pass Courtroom Animal Advocate Program laws! These laws allow advocates – supervised law students or volunteer lawyers – to advocate for animal victims in criminal cruelty cases. Volunteers appear in court and assist the judge by drafting briefs, conducting research, gathering information from veterinarians, animal control officers, and law enforcement officials, and making recommendations on behalf of the animal victim’s interests. If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to our Legislative Affairs Program at legislation@aldf.org.
• If you live in Connecticut or Maine, host a student chapter event on how qualified law students can represent animal victims in court as Courtroom Animal Advocates.
• Watch an Animal Law Academy webinar and host a discussion afterwards with your chapter. Find discussion questions at the links below.
  • • Vindicating Pierson v. Post’s ‘Saucy Intruder’: Of Wildlife Crimes & Crimes Against Wildlife
    • Animal Victims and Restorative Justice
    • Critical Caselaw: Judicial Recognition of Animal Sentience
• Find more project ideas in our Student Chapter Program Guides on Wild Animals in the Law and Organizing for Animals in the Digital Age (if your school is remote).

Suggested Speaker Topics

• From US v. 53 Pitbulls to Desmond and Franky’s Laws: growing options for attorneys and law students to give voice to the needs of animal crime victims in court.
• Ag-Gag legislation, which criminalizes whistleblowing of egregious animal cruelty on factory farms.
• Criminal anti-cruelty laws: an overview of the laws in your state, exciting legislative developments, and how statutory carve-outs complicate protecting certain animals, like farmed animals and wildlife, from cruelty.
• The connection between domestic violence and animal cruelty.
• Vindicating Victims, Preventing Cruelty, and Doing Justice: a panel of perspectives on animal crimes in the justice system.
• Animals at the Intersection of Criminal and Constitutional Law: searches, seizures, and religious freedom.

Top Animal Defenders

Animal cruelty cases are complex, requiring determination, creativity, and persistence. Each year for National Justice for Animals Week, Top Defenders are selected for addressing animal cruelty in their communities, despite the challenges they encountered in doing so. The accomplishments of these individuals collectively represent justice for animal victims of cruelty and an increased protection of this vulnerable population in the future. These professionals have gone above and beyond for animals this year.

Learn more about last year’s Top Defenders.

• Scott Halloran, Animal Crimes Assistant Attorney General
  Washington
• Alba Michelle Gonzalez, DVM, MS
  Dublin, Ohio
• Lauryn Day, Senior Assistant Statewide Prosecutor
  Florida
• Patrick Cassin, Animal Control Superintendent
  Pierce County, Washington
  
• Josh Racki, County Attorney and Stephanie Fuller, Deputy County Attorney
  Cascade County, Montana
• Vivian González-Méndez
  Puerto Rico
  
• Lillian Garcia Navedo
  Puerto Rico
  
• Sevan Biramian, Assistant County Prosecutor and Keri-Leigh Schaefer, Assistant County Prosecutor
  Monmouth County, New Jersey
  
• Zachary Bryson, Detective, Kentucky State Police
  Kentucky