Law & Justice

Perspective

German Court: Economic Grounds Not Acceptable for Causing Pain to Vertebrates

While 45 million male chicks can continue to be killed in German egg and poultry industries for now, a new court ruling opens exciting opportunities for expanding and enforcing animal…

Law & Justice•2 min read

Reported

NYC Fur Ban: The Beginning of the End for Fur Industry

With New York City, a world fashion capital, finally joining the crop of cities banning the sale of fur, the exploitative fur industry's days are numbered.

Law & Justice•4 min read

Reported

Australia Swears in Third Vegan Activist to State Parliament

Australians will return to the polls this Saturday in what's becoming a pivotal election for animals and the environment. The big question: Will Australia's next prime minister be friend or…

Law & Justice•7 min read

Reported

Hackers Target Brazil’s Leading Animal Rights News Site

Since last year’s election, the website has been shut down by pro-Bolsonaro hackers several times. The longest shutdown lasted 30 days.

Law & Justice•7 min read

Reported

Watch: Unprecedented Animal Rights Protest at Pig Farm

A sign posted inside the farm read, "What happens in the barn, stays in the barn," an explicit reminder of the industry's aversion to transparency.

Law & Justice•5 min read

Perspective

Ban the Tether: Why Chaining Up Dogs Should Be a Crime

Dogs, like children, are social beings. They have a deeply ingrained need for contact with human beings and other dogs—to run, explore, and play—none of which they can do on…

Law & Justice•4 min read

Perspective

Animal Rights Advocates Deserve Free Speech Too

The first amendment exists to protect points of view that our society would otherwise censor—including animal rights. But on Facebook and factory farms, animal advocates are fighting for their right…

Law & Justice•4 min read

Pit Bulls Are Not Monsters

They have big hearts, clownish grins, and wildly wagging tails, but pit bulls do pose tough challenges to the humane community. In 2018, nearly half of U.S. pit bulls were…

Law & Justice•3 min read

Perspective

Hundreds Sick from Meat Bacteria Outbreaks: It’s Time to Fight Back

American consumers should have serious beef with the USDA. The latest outbreak traveled across 10 states in just two days, flying under the radar of federal meat inspectors yet again.

Law & Justice•4 min read

Reported

America’s First Vegan Charter School Denied Federal Funding for Removing Dairy

Lunches at public schools in America lack proper nutrition. This mother-turned-founder is taking it upon herself to build an educational curriculum for her daughter that aligns with her vegan values.

Law & Justice•6 min read

Reported

Follow the Feathers: Why Down’s “Humane” Claims Can’t Be Trusted

Many companies claim the feathers they use in down coats, pillows, and blankets are "sustainable" and "ethical." But such marketing is rampant in industries that want to gloss over the…

Law & Justice•4 min read

Perspective

McDonald’s Is Falling Behind: It Should Embrace Vegan Options

Fast food burger giants like Burger King and White Castle are embracing the rise of plant-based foods and adding vegan burgers to their menus. McDonald's, on the other hand, is…

Law & Justice•3 min read

Reported

Nonviolent Vegan Protest Called “Un-Australian” as Prime Minister Sides with Farmers

The third-fastest growing vegan market in the world faces its biggest challenge yet—the May 2019 elections. Amid mounting criticism, members of the Animal Justice Party are still hot on the…

Law & Justice•7 min read

Perspective

Protect and Expand the Emotional Support Animal System

There is currently no entity that keeps track of emotional support animals nationwide, which is causing confusion and abuse of the system. Owners who don't need a support animal are…

Law & Justice•4 min read

Reported

School Principal Says ‘No’ to Animal Rights Club. This Student Is Fighting Back.

According to the United States Supreme Court, students do not give up their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly when they walk in the door. If the animal…

Law & Justice•7 min read

Perspective

Humane Meat Is a Scam. Stop Falling for It.

Eco-conscious grocery stores like Whole Foods claim their meat is “humane.” The certification is supposed to signify that the animal was slaughtered humanely, but there's no such thing as humane…

Law & Justice•4 min read

Reported

Statewide Fur Ban in California Passes First Vote

The bill, AB 44, would ban the sale of all fur goods across the state, carrying momentum from city-wide bans in California's two largest metropolitan areas.

Law & Justice•5 min read

Reported

San Francisco Banned Fur. Will the Anti-Cruelty Revolution Spread?

The movement away from real fur is gaining momentum. As consumers opt for animal-free alternatives, the fashion industry will be forced to respond. Gucci and Versace already took the first…

Law & Justice•3 min read

The Fashion Capital of the World Should Go Fur-Free

With the suffering of millions of animals at stake, New York City has the opportunity to send a strong message across the world by banning fur sales.

Law & Justice•3 min read

Perspective

Business-Savvy Landlords Should Allow Pets. Cities Should Encourage It.

The benefits to the thousands of homeless pets who are dying for lack of a home each year cannot be overstated. Landlords can make a profitable, life-saving choice by permitting…

Law & Justice•3 min read

Reported

Corporate Sustainability and the Problem With Eating Meat

This year, deforestation in the Amazon reached a decade-long high, in large part because of an increased demand for soy to feed factory-farmed cattle. Rainforests in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and…

Law & Justice•8 min read

Reported

The Farm Bill Is a Big Win for Animals. Here’s Why.

Animal advocates, time to celebrate. The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill signals the resilience of animal protection laws on a national level, something advocates have not seen the likes…

Law & Justice•6 min read

Perspective

Man’s Best Friend Not Safe Inside Carrefour Stores

Protests erupted in Brazil after a dog was killed inside a Carrefour supermarket. A security guard savagely beat the animal to death.

Law & Justice•6 min read

Explainer

Food Insecurity: What It Is & What Is Causing It

The facts don't lie: we’re using grain and other perfectly human-edible nutritious plants to bulk up animals for destruction instead of feeding people who can’t feed themselves.

Law & Justice•11 min read

Perspective

This Is Why Politicians Need to Start Writing More Plant-Based Policy

According to the comprehensive, 52-source study published in Climate Policy, we have reached peak livestock. Politicians can recognize this by writing it into their climate mitigation plans for 2020.

Law & Justice•5 min read

Perspective

YES! Prop 12 Is Now the Strongest Animal Protection Legislation in the World

Californians turned out. They voted, and they made Prop 12 happen. As they say, how goes California, so goes the nation.

Law & Justice•5 min read

Reported

Animal Lovers: Unite!

Animal lives are at stake in the midterm elections. New legislation in California and Florida takes into account nearly 20 million animals. While these two states are quickly becoming battlegrounds…

Law & Justice•1 min read

Reported

U.S. Ranchers Could Be Sentencing Wild Horses to Death

Alarm bells went off after the Forest Service began rounding up 1,000 wild horses from public lands in California this week. The Bureau of Land Management leases out a lot…

Law & Justice•2 min read

Explainer

What Is Proposition 12 in California?

Proposition 12 in California would establish new cage-free housing requirements for baby veal calves, mother pigs, and egg-laying hens. The ballot initiative looks similar to California’s first “cage-free” initiative from…

Law & Justice•2 min read

Explainer

What Is the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act?

In 1971, President Richard Nixon signed the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the first federal legislation of its kind designated to protect the nation’s wild horse population on both…

Law & Justice•1 min read

Explainer

What Is the Migratory Bird Treaty Act?

Passed in 1918, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it illegal to “take posses, import, export, transport, sell, purchase, barter, or offer for sale, purchase, or barter, any migratory bird,…

Law & Justice•1 min read

Explainer

How to Support Animal Welfare in the Farm Bill

World Farm Animal Day came and went! Celebrate by supporting animal welfare in the 2018 Farm Bill. Here's a sample email addressed to your member of Congress that expresses your…

Law & Justice•1 min read

Reported

California Governor To End Use of Driftnets

Mercy For Animals/YouTube Fish feel pain, which makes news that California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to end the use of cruel swordfishing driftnets bittersweet. Footage of these driftnets…

Law & Justice•1 min read

Explainer

What Is the Horse Protection Act?

In 1970, the public began to voice their outrage to Congress over the treatment of Tennessee walking horses for the show ring. There was a call for politicians to ban…

Law & Justice•1 min read

Reported

Judge Defends Yellowstone’s Threatened Grizzly Bears

Gregory Smith/Flickr A U.S. District judge just reinstated the Yellowstone grizzly bear’s threatened-species status. He claimed the administration wasn’t using the best science in its decision to remove the bear’s…

Law & Justice•1 min read

Explainer

What Is the Twenty-Eight Hour Law?

Vladimir Morozov/akxmedia This federal law set standards for animals being raised for food and transported across state lines. It states: animals that fit into this criteria cannot be transported by "rail…

Law & Justice•1 min read

Explainer

What Is the Health Research Extension Act of 1985?

IAEA/Flickr This legislative mandate directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create and enforce guidelines for the care and treatment of animals used in research. It's important to…

Law & Justice•1 min read

Explainer

What Is the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act?

Originally passed in 1958, the law was amended in 1978, then again in 2002. It requires USDA inspected slaughterhouses maintain the proper handling and humane treatment of all animals slaughtered…

Law & Justice•1 min read

Explainer

What Is the Animal Welfare Act of 1966?

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was preceded in the 1960’s by a public outcry about the growing theft of cats and dogs to be sold for laboratory research. Life and…

Law & Justice•2 min read

Reported

What Is Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill?

In 1967 Congress appropriated $78 million in public funds to the Tennessee Valley Authority to build the Tellico dam along the Little Tennessee River to develop hydroelectricity. Then in 1973,…

Law & Justice•1 min read

Explainer

What Is a Nuisance Lawsuit?

A major point of contention over the last 20 years between residents and farmers has been nuisance lawsuits. These claims come in two forms, private and public. A public lawsuit…

Law & Justice•1 min read

Reported

In North Carolina, Not All Milk Is Created Equal

North Carolina became the first state to pass legislation that would prohibit the use of the term “milk” for non-dairy products with Senate Bill 711, also known as the North…

Law & Justice•2 min read