Animals Have Rights, Too!
Greetings Law Buffs and Calves!
As we sit down with our furry friends at the end of a long day, we may ask ourselves: how protected are our animals and their rights under the law? There happens to be a large body of law covering animals and animal rights and today we share 10 interesting reports, articles, cases, and laws covering just that!
The Animal Legal Defense Fund put together a ranking comparing the overall strength and comprehensiveness of animal rights laws in each state. “The longest-running, most authoritative report of its kind, it tracks which states are taking the lead to improve animal protection laws and which are falling behind.”
“Current statute passed by U.S. Congress and incorporated into the United States Code begins at 7 U.S.C. 2131. The statute gives USDA authority to make regulations to implement and enforce the law by issuing regulations.”
“The Code of Federal Regulations at Animal Welfare 9 C.F.R. Parts 1, 2, and 3 provides detailed guidance and standards drafted and adopted by the USDA to implement and enforce the Animal Welfare Act.” Here you can find “specifications for the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation” of various animals, as well as regulations on importing animals, animal research facilities, industry organizations & associations, and more.
“The Endangered Species Act (ESA) provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found.”
“This index provides a comprehensive though not necessarily exhaustive compilation of reported and unreported federal and state court decisions involving Animal Welfare that were decided between [January 1, 1995 and January 18, 2020].”
“At the Supreme Court today, most of the nation's pork farmers were pitted against California and the Humane Society of America. [. . .] The case is about more than pigs. It's about how much regulation a state may constitutionally enact when those laws have a significant effect on what happens in other states.”
“More than a few people have asked me why I have chosen to focus my academic and professional pursuits on animal law. As with anyone’s life path, the full answer is long and winding, but for a short version, three factors stand out to me: animal law is impactful, interesting, and fun.”
“The present article analyses the protection of animals in times of armed conflict. The primary objective of this article is to explore the relationship between animal law and international humanitarian law and to find out to what extent rules of animal welfare law can be applied during armed conflict and how international humanitarian law can protect animals.”
Michigan State University’s Animal Legal & Historical Center provides an extensive list of articles covering animal rights.
Michigan State University’s Animal Legal & Historical Center provides an extensive list of U.S. cases covering animal rights.