Law & Justice

Reported

Advocates Promise Solutions to Australia’s ‘Outdated’ Animal Laws

Newcomer to the animal protection scene Australian Alliance for Animals sets out to fix the country’s "broken" animal welfare regulatory systems.

Law & Justice•6 min read

Reported

A New Bill Aims to Counteract a Decades-Long Trend: The Decline of the Black Farmer

“This bill could help usher in a new generation of African American farmers,” a Black producer said. “But, if it fails, it’s gonna continue to dwindle.”

Law & Justice•8 min read

Reported

After Three-Year Legal Battle, Justice Is Served at Pennsylvania Mega-Dairy

The Nestlé supplier faces criminal animal cruelty charges, financial penalties, and possible jail time for the farm’s owners following a 2018 investigation by Animal Outlook.

Law & Justice•3 min read

Reported

European Union to Ban the Routine Use of Antibiotics on Farmed Animals

An EU ban on the routine use of antibiotics that could change the face of intensive farming comes into force this month. Will producers comply?

Law & Justice•6 min read

Reported

‘The Situation Is Dire’: California’s Tule Elk Face Biggest Threat Yet

Tensions continue to rise between ranchers and activists at Point Reyes National Seashore after 72 more elk died this summer.

Law & Justice•5 min read

Reported

In Europe, Authorities Struggle to Enforce Animal Protection Laws

A former UK police detective says abuse is tied to violent crimes like child abuse and sexual assault. Still, law enforcement agencies rarely prioritize animal protection.

Law & Justice•4 min read

Perspective

We Asked Gov. Newsom to Stop Expanding Factory Farms. He Didn’t Listen.

Activists arrived outside the home of California Governor Gavin Newsom with a simple ask: halt the expansion of factory farms. His response may surprise you.

Law & Justice•4 min read

Perspective

Animals Could Play a Pivotal Role in Climate Talks—if We Let Them

Climate change impacts every species on the planet. Why are humans the only ones drafting a response?

Law & Justice•8 min read

Perspective

Farmed Animals Lack Legal Protections. What Needs to Change?

The legal system hasn't simply failed farmed animals—it has actively and methodically facilitated their exploitation. Here's what needs to change.

Law & Justice•4 min read

Reported

Advocates Fight Back Against Rise of Animal Cruelty on Facebook and YouTube

As Facebook falls under the national spotlight, Jennifer Mishler takes a closer look at the rise of animal cruelty on the platform and what advocates can do to stop it.

Law & Justice•8 min read

Explainer

Animals Have Some Legal Protections. Here’s Where They Fall Short.

Animal protection refers to the set of laws, belief systems, and activist networks dedicated to protecting animals from needless suffering.

Law & Justice•9 min read

Perspective

Sentient Media Podcast: Cheryl Leahy Exposes the Truth About Pet Food, “Crush Videos,” and the Powerlessness of the Law

We sat down with Cheryl Leahy, Executive Director of Animal Outlook, to talk about the pet food industry, "crush videos," and a new investigation.

Law & Justice•76 min read

Reported

Short Film Highlights the Dangers of Ag-Gag Laws

The film urges action on ag-gag laws, which seek to “gag” would-be whistleblowers by punishing them for recording footage of what goes on inside factory farms.

Law & Justice•1 min read

Perspective

Countries Take Steps to Ban Fur Farming After COVID-19 Outbreaks

Massive outbreaks of COVID-19 led to the permanent closure of fur farms in the Netherlands, Poland, and France, but the U.S. has yet to take action.

Law & Justice•4 min read

Investigation

New Slaughterhouse Investigation Reveals Critical Lapse in Federal Law

Fish are one of the few farmed animals not protected by the Humane Slaughter Act. Producers are aware of this loophole and regularly exploit it, investigators say.

Law & Justice•6 min read

Reported

Jo-Anne McArthur Speaks Out Against Canada’s New Ag-Gag Laws

Award-winning photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur discusses Canada's latest ag-gag law and how the industry's ongoing attack on journalists and activists is impacting her work.

Law & Justice•9 min read

Reported

Food Redlining: How Two Bay Area Communities Are Fighting Back Against a Legacy of Racist Policy

Supermarkets often will not open stores in low-income neighborhoods, further limiting access to nutritious foods for their residents. Two California communities are taking a stand.

Law & Justice•6 min read

Reported

Endangered Elk Starve While the National Park Service Stands By

Nearly 300 endangered tule elk isolated on the Pt. Reyes National Seashore are in a fight for their lives—with no help from the National Park Service, the organization tasked with…

Law & Justice•8 min read

Perspective

Why USDA Should Adopt Stronger Legal Protections for Farmed Animals

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that USDA will begin a new process to address farmed animal welfare standards. It's long overdue.

Law & Justice•4 min read

Reported

Manitoba Becomes Fourth Province in Canada to Pass Ag-Gag Laws

Ag-gag laws got their name from the intended effect of gagging activists from exposing the truth about the animal agriculture industry. They are widely considered to be violations of free…

Law & Justice•4 min read

Perspective

The UK Animal Sentience Bill Is Good, But Animals Deserve Better

The new animal sentience bill could make progress for animals on several fronts. But the bill is vague in key respects, protecting some animals while leaving out others.

Law & Justice•7 min read

Perspective

Saving Animals, One Law at a Time

Lobbyists and legislators can only do so much. Public support is what pushes for bills to become laws—and right now, support for animals is soaring.

Law & Justice•7 min read

Reported

Kansas Federal Judge Rules Decades-Old “Ag-Gag” Law Unconstitutional

A federal judge recently overturned a Kansas law that made it illegal to conduct undercover investigations on factory farms. The ruling set a new precedent for Ag-Gag laws in the…

Law & Justice•3 min read

Reported

As Borders Closed, Thousands of Seafarers Were Left Stranded

Thousands of seafarers are stranded in countries around the globe as COVID-19 has restricted travel and forced many smaller airports to close.

Law & Justice•6 min read

Reported

World’s Largest Fleet of Illegal Fishing Boats Operating Invisibly in North Korean Waters

The Chinese vessels—numbering nearly 800 in 2019—appear to be in violation of UN sanctions that forbid foreign fishing off the coast of North Korea.

Law & Justice•7 min read

Perspective

In a Perfect World, There Would Be No Animal Suffering

Utopian visions of a post-COVID-19 future can only come to life if we first consider the needs of all sentient beings, especially those trapped in the food system.

Law & Justice•6 min read

Reported

The Role of Plant-Based Food in the Prison System

Food justice issues, like access to fresh, affordable ingredients, disproportionately affect communities of color. In jails, sheriffs and wardens reinforce this oppression by restricting inmates' diets and serving poor quality…

Law & Justice•6 min read

Reported

A Veggie Burger Is Still A Veggie Burger, Says EU Parliament

Veggie burgers can stay, say MEPs, but “vegan cheese” has to go. Parliament also failed to support much-needed environmental reforms, allowing the agricultural industry to carry on destroying the climate.

Law & Justice•2 min read

Perspective

What Trump’s Deregulations Mean for Animals

Many of the deregulations enacted by President Trump prioritize the interests of hunters, property owners, and the fossil fuel industry over the health and well-being of animals and their ecosystems.

Law & Justice•4 min read

Perspective

Why Aren’t We All Boycotting Factory Farms?

Social movements have long used consumer abstentions to help achieve their goals. It’s time to acknowledge and adopt a boycott on animal products as a key tactic in the fight…

Law & Justice•9 min read

Reported

Factory Farm Investigators Face Off With Unlikely Rival

Four activists obtained footage of alleged animal abuse at a hog farm in British Columbia. They reported it to local authorities, but now they're facing off with an unlikely rival:…

Law & Justice•8 min read

Perspective

How Vice President Pence Is Exposing the Sexual Politics of Meat

The Vice President vowed to protect red meat from Democratic challenger Kamala Harris, bringing into question what role misogyny and white supremacy play in the current political climate.

Law & Justice•5 min read

Reported

European Commission Accused of “Gross Cynicism” Toward Farmed Animal Welfare

Advocates are calling for a ban on live animal exports to war-torn Libya, where missile fire threatens animals arriving on cargo ships from Ireland. But welfare officials continue to drag…

Law & Justice•5 min read

Reported

When Gassing Animals to Death Doesn’t Work

If gassing doesn't always work, why is it an approved method of depopulating farmed animals? Award-winning veterinarian Dr. Jonas Watson explains.

Law & Justice•4 min read

Reported

Animal Welfare Campaigners and UK Politicians Clash Over Live Exports

Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to ban live animal exports as soon as Britain officially left the EU. But an upcoming court case is spreading doubt about whether or not he…

Law & Justice•5 min read

Perspective

The Danger of Letting the Animal Agriculture Industry Operate in Secrecy

Former undercover investigator Scott David examines the risks and implications of “ag-gag" laws that punish anyone who releases evidence of animal cruelty inside farms and slaughterhouses.

Law & Justice•6 min read

Reported

Ontario Passes Controversial New Ag-Gag Law, But Animal Rights Activists Aren’t Backing Down

In a new video and exclusive interview, Amy Soranno walks us through her life as an animal rights activist, uncovering the hidden lives of exploited animals in the food system.

Law & Justice•9 min read

Reported

Dutch Parliament Votes to Close Mink Fur Farms Following COVID-19 Outbreaks

The Netherlands is one of 24 countries where mink farming is still legal. In a historic move, the Dutch parliament has voted to permanently close the mink fur farms shut…

Law & Justice•4 min read

Perspective

Understanding Euthanasia: When Life and Words Become Worthless

Animals subjected to "euthanasia" often die by carbon dioxide poisoning, ventilation shutdown, and other mass-killing techniques that prolong suffering for minutes, even hours.

Law & Justice•6 min read

Perspective

COVID-19 Demonstrating Risks of Ontario’s Proposed “Ag-Gag” Law

COVID-19 is making clear that Canada has a food safety problem—but "ag-gag" laws like the proposed Bill 156 make existing problems worse by further limiting much-needed transparency in the food…

Law & Justice•6 min read

Perspective

Closed Borders and Quarantine Measures Pose Direct Threat to Transport Animal Welfare

In a push to keep slaughter lines running during the pandemic, the industry's hunt for profits is putting animal welfare and public health at risk.

Law & Justice•6 min read

Reported

King Cole Duck Rescue: Interview with Activist Jenny McQueen

Sentient Media Fellow Jesse Harris spoke with veteran activist Jenny McQueen about the recent action at King Cole duck farm and what a new Ontario bill targeting animal activists means…

Law & Justice•9 min read

Perspective

New U.K. Legislation Makes Compassion for Animals a Crime

The legislation fails to address the nuanced issues related to grey squirrels and other invasive species. Instead, it adheres to a simple narrative: native good, invasive bad.

Law & Justice•5 min read

Perspective

2020 Vision on Animal Cruelty

When Congress passed the PACT Act in November, President Trump led Americans to believe that all animal cruelty is now illegal. But the new protections are riddled with loopholes.

Law & Justice•8 min read

Reported

This Organization Is Creating a Cage-Free Germany

The Albert Schweitzer Foundation has promoted cage-free supply chains and other animal welfare initiatives for over 20 years. They're just getting started.

Law & Justice•8 min read

Perspective

Stop Treating Animals as “Invaders” for Simply Trying to Exist

Wild animals around the world are being removed from human communities and killed en masse. What are the animals doing to deserve this punishment?

Law & Justice•6 min read

Perspective

Voters For Animal Rights: Creating a More Compassionate New York

Voters For Animal Rights is an animal protection group lobbying for ending animal cruelty, and holding elected officials accountable in the State and City of New York. We spoke with…

Law & Justice•9 min read

Perspective

Ag-Gag Laws Keep Animal Farming in the Dark and Diminish Public Trust

Who or what are ag-gag laws truly serving? Not the animals being exploited and killed behind closed doors, and not the public being kept in the dark, only growing more…

Law & Justice•4 min read

Reported

Harvard Law Clinic Urges USDA to Improve Lives of 100,000 Research Animals

The case is the first filed by Harvard Law School’s new Animal Law & Policy Clinic, which teaches law students how to advocate for animals.

Law & Justice•4 min read

Explainer

There’s Nothing “Humane” About Killing Pigs in Gas Chambers

CO2 gassing is standard practice among the world’s largest pork producers, but not because it’s more humane, as the industry promises.

Law & Justice•5 min read