We coordinate opportunities for volunteer animal rights work, community service and activism while organizing informative and festive events throughout the year that promote critical reflection on the different relationships between animals and our legal obligations to these animals. In August, the Animaland Zoological Park in Pennsylvania was permanently closed in response to a lawsuit filed in March 2016 by the Animal Legal Defense Fund. The lawsuit alleges that the zoo violated the state`s Endangered Species Act and wildlife laws by failing to adequately care for the animals locked up in the facility. Two bears and an endangered wolf have been relocated to protected areas capable of meeting their needs. [11] In February, Guam voted to drastically strengthen the territory`s animal welfare laws. Guam`s new legislation adopts robust minimum standards of care and other definitions that reflect much of what is contained in the Animal Welfare Fund`s Model Animal Welfare Laws. [24] In October, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) announced a unique partnership to respond to the judicial response in prosecutions related to animal cruelty. [5] We provide a forum for education, advocacy and science that aims both to protect life and promote the interests of animals through the legal system, while raising the profile of animal rights. In February, the inhumane King Kong Zoological Park in North Carolina was permanently closed after the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit alleging that the zoo`s cruel treatment of animals violated North Carolina`s animal cruelty laws. North Carolina`s unique civil animal cruelty law allows concerned members of the public to end animal cruelty when criminal animal cruelty laws are ignored and not enforced, as they did at the King Kong Zoo. [9] In March, the Clay County Circuit Court (Kentucky) issued a consensus decision to settle the Animal Legal Defense Fund`s lawsuit against the county to end systematic abuse at the local shelter. [21] The Animal Legal Defense Fund goes to court for animals.

Whether it`s filing high-impact lawsuits or providing amicus curiae briefs, litigation is an essential tool in the work to promote the interests of animals. The Animal Legal Defense Fund`s team of experienced lawyers can sue themselves or hire outside lawyers to represent them. Civil lawsuits on behalf of animals often include filing amicus curiae briefs advocating for the recognition of the links between humans and non-human animals, and filing formal complaints against government agencies responsible for enforcing animal welfare laws. As the first-ever student chapter of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Lewis & Clark Animal Legal Defense Fund is dedicated to improving the welfare and legal status of all nonhuman animals. Our main goal is to educate ourselves and others about the issues and laws that affect animals and to influence positive change. The Animal Legal Defense Fund`s annual report comprehensively examines the animal welfare laws of all U.S. states and territories. This is the oldest and most authoritative report of its kind, assessing the strength of each jurisdiction`s animal welfare laws by reviewing more than 4,000 pages of legislation. The report also highlights the upper, middle and lower levels of jurisdictions, noting the „top five” and „five worst” states overall. [3] We play a key role in the organisation of the annual Animal Rights Conference, the country`s oldest convention on animal rights issues. We also share a sequel with Animal Law Review, the leading magazine of its kind.

Finally, we work closely with the Lewis & Clark Faculty of Animal Rights, which forms the Center for Animal Law Studies. The Animal Legal Defense Fund has called on Kentucky lawmakers to push for sweeping changes to its laws to protect horses and other animals. In 2008, Kentucky ranked last in the country for animal welfare laws. [30] If you are an aspiring student interested in animal rights and want a personalized tour, we would be happy to show you around! Simply contact us at lcaldf@lclark.edu to make an appointment. The Animal Legal Defense Fund`s criminal justice program consists of lawyers, including former prosecutors, with expertise in animal welfare law who provide free legal assistance to prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and veterinarians who handle animal cruelty cases. It also works with state lawmakers to strengthen criminal animal welfare laws. In February, the Animal Legal Defense Fund set a precedent in an Endangered Species Act lawsuit on behalf of four tigers and three lemurs kept in lower captivity at the Cricket Hollow Zoo, a roadside zoo in Iowa. This victory is the first time animal rights activists have successfully used the Endangered Species Act to obtain a court order for the removal of captive animals from inferior conditions, and sets an important precedent that the isolation of social animals violates the law. [12] The Animal Legal Defense Fund is an animal rights group. Their stated mission is to protect the lives and promote the interests of animals through the legal system. This is achieved by filing high-impact lawsuits to protect animals from harm, providing free legal assistance and training to prosecutors to ensure animal abusers are punished for their crimes, supporting strict animal welfare laws, and fighting laws that are harmful to animals, and providing resources and opportunities for students and legal professionals to advance the emerging field of animal rights.