What exactly does animal law encompass? Consider the following questions:
- I think my neighbor is abusing his dog. What should I do?
- My dog bit someone; what liability do I have?
- I want to provide for the care of my pets when I die—how do I do that?
- I left my cat in a kennel when I was on vacation, and when I picked it up, it was very sick and thin. Can I sue the kennel? What kind of damages can I recover?
- My sister’s landlord says that she has to get rid of her dog or he’ll evict her. But she is mentally handicapped and needs her dog for her well-being. What are her rights?
- Three months ago, I found a stray puppy with no identifying tags and I adopted him. Now, someone claims that he’s her lost dog and says she can prove it. Do I have to give him up?
- My husband and I are getting a divorce and we both want custody of our dog. What is the law on this? Is there any such thing as joint custody of a pet?
If your reaction to these questions is to scratch your head and say “I don’t know, I’m not a lawyer,” then you’re not alone. Legal questions having to do with animals are a great unknown to most people, including a majority of pet owners. But you may be surprised to know that most lawyers don’t know the answers to these and many other questions having to do with pets and other animals. While we’d love to answer all of these questions for you, animal laws are ever changing, and often times vary by state. What we can do is give you valuable background information on the subject so that you’re better prepared, should you ever have the need to seek counsel. Welcome to the complex world of animal law.
Animal Law—and Lawyers—to the Rescue
Although there have been laws against animal cruelty on the books for centuries, our legal system has traditionally regarded animals as property, not as beings with rights. In recent years, however, that view has undergone a major change. The law has begun to reflect the view that while animals don’t have the same rights as people, they are, at the very least, something more than just property and that they occupy an important place in many people’s lives. And with this change, the field of animal law has come into its own and expanded at a remarkable rate.
