About Animal Law

What is animal law?

“Animal law is, in its simplest (and broadest) sense, statutory and decisional law in which the nature—legal, social or biological—of nonhuman animals is an important factor.” - BRUCE WAGMAN, SONIA WAISMAN AND PAMELA FRASCH, ANIMAL LAW, CASES AND MATERIALS (Carolina Academic Press, 4th Ed., 2010).

Why animal law?

Because animals matter.  Whether recognized for their intrinsic worth, their role as companions, or the value they bring to the environment and world economy, animals are integral to every aspect of human society.

Because animal law attorneys can change the world.  Lawyers interested in animal law have numerous opportunities to incorporate the field into their own practices.  State, federal, local and international laws all contain provisions regulating or impacting animals.

Because animal law is an exciting and rapidly expanding field of law.  Animal law overlaps with many traditional areas of the law such as torts, criminal, wills & trusts, constitutional, and property law.  Animal law is rooted in the practical application of statutes, regulations and case law, but the field also explores legal theory and jurisprudence.  In animal law we ask fundamental questions about the nature of a legal right or interest, how laws create or entrench power imbalances, and how those imbalances impact animals.