In the United States, a number of products like pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and detergents are first tested on animals to determine what their effects are likely to be on humans. This has raised a number legal and ethical concerns among consumers. So, what are the...
Dog bites can be serious injuries, and cause both physical and emotional harm. But a dog bite victim will have trouble getting compensation unless he or she can prove the dog’s owner had reason to believe the dog was dangerous. There are exceptions to this rule,...
California law imposes a strict liability rule in dog bite cases, which means that an owner is always liable for any personal injury caused by his or her dog, even in situations where a dog has not bitten before, explains a lawyer. While owners may be held liable for...
In a split ruling, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals on Thursday said a municipal court didn’t have the authority to order the killing of Major, a pit bull terrier whose owner went to court to save the pooch’s life. The dog’s troubles stem from a biting...
Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi has proposed a bill to move animal abuse crimes from the Agriculture Markets Law into the Penal Law, a change which he and CNY SPCA note is long overdue. According to Brindisi, “Many animal abuse laws were written 50 years ago. And most...
Breed Specific Legislation, or BSL as it is more commonly known, is a way for cities and towns to place either restrictions or full bans on a certain breed of dog. Most commonly these bans are of so called dangerous breeds or even “bully breeds.” Typically the...
When married couples divorce, who gets to keep the dog? Under the law, dogs are considered to be personal property, and no matter how loved dogs are, they are not treated like children under the law. Many judges do not want to get involved in pet disputes. The...
Two recent Oregon Supreme Court rulings have afforded animals further protections, despite their classification as property under Oregon law. These rulings will allow law enforcement to provide more meaningful aid to animal victims and will allow the court system to...
The Living Planet Index (LPI) from the World Wildlife Fund reported that between 1970 to 2010 there has been a 52% decline in vertebrae species populations on Earth. The study considered 10,380 populations of 3,038 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and...
15 years ago, nine of the 203 law schools in the United States offered courses in animal law. Today, more than 130 universities do. That’s a huge advance in the outlook for legal protection for animals. In fact, professional interest in the field of animal law is...
