National Justice for Animals Week

February 23–28, 2026

The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s National Justice for Animals Week is an annual event dedicated to raising public awareness around crimes committed against animals. This includes learning what criminal cruelty is under the law, and how we can all work to build stronger laws, prevent criminal cruelty, hold abusers accountable, and vindicate the interests of animal cruelty victims.

Each year’s event features suggested actions and a representative — an animal whose experience with the justice system helps illustrate the law’s power to do more for animals. The annual week of awareness is capped off with the announcement of America’s Top Animal Defenders — the list of prosecutors, judges, law enforcement officials, animal rescuers, lawmakers, animal legal advocates, and others who champion the cause of animal crime victims.

Check out the National Justice for Animals Week Project Kit, designed for ALDF student chapters to help with planning and ideas!

Animal Representative

Our 2026 National Justice for Animals Week representative is Asha, a cat who survived harrowing abuse and received justice and a fresh start.

When Asha’s regular veterinarian noted a troubling pattern of injuries to Asha, as well as another cat in the same household who tragically did not survive, they reported suspected animal abuse to local law enforcement, and an investigation was launched.

Knowing of ALDF’s resources for animal cruelty investigators and prosecutors, the prosecutor in Asha’s case reached out for help connecting with a forensic veterinarian.

Fortunately, Dr. Susan Norris of Champaign, Illinois, had recently completed a graduate-level Animal Crime Scene Processing course taught by ALDF Criminal Justice Program staff, and was able to perform an examination of Asha. ALDF funded Dr. Norris’ travel, the forensic assessment, and Asha’s treatment from a veterinary eye specialist.

The forensic assessment was critical in bringing justice for Asha. Ultimately, the suspect was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, and legal ownership of Asha was forfeited. She has since been adopted into a loving new family.

Asha’s abuser received a sentence including a permanent ban on owning or possessing any other animals and a mandatory psychological evaluation and associated treatment. (Possession bans and psychological evaluations and treatment for animal cruelty offenders are among the reforms ALDF works to help pass across the country.)

Asha has made an impressive recovery, and today she’s thriving in her new home. (Her unorthodox new favorite toy? Asparagus!) Her crinkly left ear is a visual reminder of the abuse she suffered; the injury is fully healed, but the physical damage is permanent.

All too often, a lack of communication and collaboration between different animal-cruelty responders can hinder an effective response to abuse. But fortunately, that wasn’t the case for Asha, for whom the successful collaboration of multiple veterinarians, local law enforcement, and a caring prosecutor truly made all the difference.

ALDF welcomes the opportunity to assist criminal justice and veterinary professionals through training, case consultation, grant funding, and other resources to bring justice and protection for animals like Asha.

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 ALDF’s 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 on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Share this page with #NJFAW and #ALDF!
Join the ALDF 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 Teleparty, TwoSeven, 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 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.
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’s Law and Franky’s Law: 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.

Actions

Take Action for National Justice for Animals Week!

Share our factsheet about reporting animal cruelty with a veterinarian in your community.

TAKE ACTION
Get Your Exclusive National Justice for Animals Week T-Shirt!

National Justice for Animals Week is one of our most important campaigns of the year. Our 2026 National Justice for Animals Week representative is Asha, a cat who survived harrowing abuse and received justice and a fresh start. Join us in speaking out against animal cruelty by ordering your limited-edition t-shirt.

Get the T-Shirt
Stop Animal Cruelty

Every day, animals are abused and killed. Their abusers frequently do not face any consequences – it’s still extremely common for animal cruelty to go unpunished. Without you, animals have no voice. Sign the petition.

Take Action

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 this year’s Top Defenders.