Animal & Dog Law Overview
Animal & Dog Law Resources
Related Practice Areas
Animal law is the body of law surrounding pet ownership, wildlife, animals used in the entertainment industry and animals raised for food and research. Animal law is a combination of various areas of law, such as tort, criminal, contract and constitutional law. Important issues in animal law include animal cruelty, companion animal concerns, animal breeding and animal estate planning.
Animal Cruelty
Animal protection laws, known as anti-cruelty laws, regulate the abuse of animals. The Animal Welfare Act authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture to regulate the use of animals in research settings, circuses and zoos. Additionally, every state criminalizes the commission of inhumane acts against animals. In many states, violation of these laws is treated as a felony. Animal cruelty laws address a wide variety of issues, including owner neglect, pet mills or "farms" and animal laboratory testing. The Humane Society of the United States works to shield animals from mistreatment by actively investigating potential abusers. Another prominent animal rights organization is the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), which seeks to protect abused animals through the legal system. The ALDF brings a number of lawsuits each year in an effort to eliminate animal cruelty.
Show Extended SummaryLegislation 
- Bill Introduced: S.Res.75 A resolution commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of ...
A resolution commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Philadelphia Zoo: America's First Zoo.
(March 10, 2009) - Bill Introduced: S.529 Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2009
A bill to assist in the conservation of rare fields and rare canids by supporting and providing financial resources for the conservation programs of countries within the range of rare felid and rare canid populations and projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations.
(March 3, 2009) - Bill Introduced: S.489 Migratory Bird Treaty Amendment Act of 2009
A bill to amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to authorize hunting under certain circumstances.
(February 24, 2009) - Bill Introduced: S.462 Captive Primate Safety Act
A bill to amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit the importation, exportation, transportation, and sale, receipt, acquisition, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce, of any live animal of any prohibited wildlife species, and for other purposes.
(February 22, 2009) - Bill Introduced: H.R.1054 To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow ...
To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow importation of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada before the date the polar bear was determined to be a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
(February 10, 2009)
Government
- FDA: Supplement, allegedly injected into Wellington polo horses that died, illegal in U.S.
PalmBeachPost.com - The 21 polo ponies that died in Wellington were all injected before Sunday's match with a government-banned vitamin supplement designed to fight off exhaustion, and polo team members believe a tainted dose caused their deaths, the team's captain said. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/04/22/0422biodyl.html
(April 22, 2009) - UFAW International Symposium 2009
Darwinian selection, selective breeding and the welfare of animals. June 22nd - 23rd 2009 University of Bristol, Bristol, UK http://www.ufaw.org.uk/UFAWSYMPOSIUM2009.php
(April 22, 2009) - Best zoos in the USA
USAToday.com - Most of the best zoos are now cageless, resulting in higher standards for animal and habitat care. A watchdog group, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredits only those zoos that meet the highest standards for animal care, education and wildlife conservation. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-04-22-forbes-best-zoos_N.htm
(April 22, 2009) - Win the public back on animal welfare
DairyHerd.com - The public needs to know who dairy farmers are and that they consider it a moral imperative and ethical responsibility that animals are well-cared-for. http://www.dairyherd.com/directories.asp?pgID=675&ed_id=8481
(April 22, 2009) - Animal rights activists, UCLA researchers square off at protest
CNN.com Dr. David Jentsch joins protest after his car was firebombed last month. Activists condemn use of animals as subjects for medical research. http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/22/animal.activists.ucla/
(April 22, 2009)
News
- DogsBite.org Releases 3-Year Fatality Study: US Dog Bite ...
PR-USA.net (press release), Bulgaria
DogsBite.org, a national dog bite victims' group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks by creating common sense laws, releases its first multi-year report on US dog bite fatalities. The report covers a 3-year period -- from January 1, ...
(April 22, 2009) - Don't get bit this spring
The Casper Star Tribune, WY
Wyoming Medical Center's emergency room treats between six and 10 dog-bite victims every month, according to Dr. Gene DuQuette. Usually, they are minor puncture wounds similar to Madison's injuries. In 2008, Metro Animal Control Center investigated 254 ...
(April 22, 2009) - Child copes with dog bite injuries, fears
Moultrie Observer, GA
The Rottweiler Hanna Cannon fed with a bottle when the canine was the only puppy in its litter to survive was to go to a new home Wednesday. The 9-year-old girl no longer wants the dog, Trixie, around. “That was her best friend,” said Jack Cannon, ...
(April 21, 2009) - Car chase ends with crash, dog bite
Blue Springs Examiner, USA
By Michael Glover - michael.glover@examiner.net An Independence man fled from a Jackson County Sheriff's Deputy, crashed into a vehicle and then got bit by a police dog. Around 10:30 pm Monday, the deputy tried pulling over a Pontiac car driven by Gary ...
(April 20, 2009)
Darien Times
$1000 fines for dog law violators outrage some residents
Examiner.com
BALTIMORE, Md. – The city is coming down hard on dog owners who walk their dogs without a leash and don't pick up their pets' animal waste. First-time offenders are being hit with $1000 fines. In the past, first-time offenders were usually given a $100 ...
Pet Owners Outraged By New Dog Law & Fine WJZ
Dog owners oppose potential leash law Darien Times
Council members agree leash fine too high ohmidog!
all 22 news articles
(April 18, 2009)
Blog Posts
- Australia: The New Canada
Two of Britain's former colonies appear to have bashing baby animals to death as a hobby in common. The Aussies are going to club thousands of baby kangaroos after a decision to "cull" by the regional government of New South Wales. The Daily Mail has covered this story. You can read it here. The article also covers [...]
(April 23, 2009) - Farm Sanctuary’s Virtual Experience
I checked this out yesterday and it's a pretty cool way for people to learn about the sanctuary and the cruelty of industrialized farming. Here's a bit from Farm Sanctuary about the Virtual Experience: Farm Sanctuary is thrilled to announce the eagerly-anticipated launch of our innovative Virtual Experience, a new digital environment that enables anyone to [...]
(April 23, 2009) - On Being a Minority Within a Minority
Submitted by Animal Person I've been tweeting (http://www.twitter.com/mary_martin) for a short time and I have more than anything else the overwhelming feeling that I am part of a minuscule minority within an already small segment of the population. I'm a vegan who thinks we shouldn't be using animals even if we change the conditions of their [...]
(April 22, 2009) - 21 polo horses dead due to pharmacy mistake
(Ok, forget the big picture that maybe the entire idea of using animals for sport should be re-examined, but at the very least...) .... hopefully state and local officials will do a genuine investigation into this weekend tragedy in Palm Beach, Florida and prosecute in a meaningful way... Read more on Fox Sports/MSN.
(April 22, 2009) - An Ounce of Python Prevention
"Swamp Things," a fascinating article by Burkhard Bilger in the April 20 issue of The New Yorker, describes how the exotic pet industry has helped transform the state of Florida into "a biological cesspool of introduced life." As fads of exotic birds, reptiles, and primates have come and gone, nonnative species have established themselves in the wild-transported by hurricanes or deliberately set loose by their owners. As Bilger explains: On a single tree you could conceivably find plants and...
(April 22, 2009)