Animal Law

A horse is a horse—of course? Oregon Supreme Court denies plaintiff horse case review

It was an open and shut case of neglect. The victim in rural Oregon was starved, denied proper shelter and suffered from frostbite and grave injuries. His caregiver pled guilty in 2017 to criminal neglect. A year later, damages were sought for the 8-year-old victim to cover the lifelong medical care necessary for his physical and emotional injuries. But in Justice v. Vercher, the plaintiff is not a child. He is a horse.

Mar 28, 2023 1:01 PM CDT

Impurr-fect evidence dooms suit over couple’s initial plans to declaw adopted Himalayan kitten

A Louisiana law governing the sale of good worth more than $500 has doomed a lawsuit filed by a woman seeking to prevent the declawing of a Flame Point Himalayan kitten she sold to a North Carolina couple.

Mar 20, 2023 2:50 PM CDT

Does ChatGPT produce fishy briefs?

Lawyers are abuzz about the possible uses of ChatGPT. Could the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot write a persuasive legal brief worthy of judicial consideration? The ABA Journal decided to put the technology to the test just for kicks.

Feb 21, 2023 1:58 PM CST

United Nations must adopt wildlife crime protocol to stop illegal trafficking, ABA House urges

The House of Delegates overwhelmingly approved a measure addressing the illegal taking and trade of wildlife.

Feb 6, 2023 4:23 PM CST

Relax with our favorite long reads of 2022

Feel like curling up next to the fireplace with a good read? ABA Journal Managing Editor Kevin Davis has curated a selection of our favorite feature stories that ran in the magazine and online in 2022.

Dec 23, 2022 8:40 AM CST

A lawyer’s passion for pets prompts career switch

“A few months before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I left federal government service as an attorney for a maritime regulatory agency to honor my life’s mission to work in the pet health equity space. Pet health equity is a growing field dedicated to providing access to veterinary care and veterinary products for companion animals, regardless of their owner’s resources and location.”

Dec 1, 2022 1:20 AM CST

Ordinance banning pit bulls in city limits didn’t violate dog owners’ constitutional rights, 8th Circuit rules

A federal appeals court has upheld a Council Bluffs, Iowa, ordinance that bans pit bulls within city limits.

Nov 14, 2022 1:17 PM CST

Overturning precedent, top Iowa court limits nuisance suits against hog farms

The Iowa Supreme Court has made it more difficult for landowners to sue neighboring hog farms for nuisances created by pollution and odor.

Jul 5, 2022 2:31 PM CDT

Woman who jumped into canal to save dog can’t sue under rescue doctrine, top state court rules

A woman who suffered neurological and cognitive injuries after jumping into a canal to save a dog can’t recover damages from its owners under the rescue doctrine, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled in a unanimous decision.

Jun 16, 2022 8:44 AM CDT

Happy the elephant isn’t a person entitled to freedom from detention, top state court rules

New York’s top court ruled 5-2 Tuesday that an elephant named Happy at the Bronx Zoo in New York City can’t be freed from detention through a writ of habeas corpus.

Jun 15, 2022 3:07 PM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Fish definition includes bees, court says; judge decries ‘fair-weather originalism’

Bees can sometimes be considered fish, court says Bees can be protected under the California Endangered Species Act because they are invertebrates within the law’s definition of fish, the California Third District Court of Appeal ruled May 31. The law defines fish as “a wild fish, mollusk, crustacean, invertebrate, amphibian…

Jun 10, 2022 11:56 AM CDT

Lawyer is happier and better paid after quitting her job to become a pet psychic

A Philadelphia lawyer who was “miserable” with her $75,000-per-year job as a real estate lawyer couldn’t be happier after switching careers.

Jun 9, 2022 12:35 PM CDT

County judge in Texas is arrested for alleged cattle theft

A county judge in West Texas was arrested Friday on charges of livestock theft and engaging in organized criminal activity.

May 24, 2022 8:54 AM CDT

Happy the elephant’s quest for personhood heads to top state court; rice and lakes also file suit

New York’s top court will hear the case of Happy the elephant’s bid for personhood and release from the Bronx Zoo in New York City on May 18.

May 13, 2022 10:39 AM CDT

Pen Pals: The animal rights attorney and the mysterious SeaWorld postcards

Matthew Strugar received the first mysterious postcard in August 2018. On one side, two black-and-white patterned orcas leapt into the air from their large tank of turquoise water at SeaWorld. The handwritten plea on the back of the postcard was signed, “Sincerely, Your imprisoned orca clients.” Most lawyers would have found the note odd, but for Strugar, it struck a familiar chord.

Apr 1, 2022 4:00 AM CDT