Jennifer Draiss joins the Lewis & Clark Animal Law MSL program after having spent over a decade working with nonprofit organizations. Her work focused largely on the rehabilitation and conservation of primates rescued from the bushmeat trade in west Africa and Indonesia. Once she returned to the States, Jennifer worked with primates who were retired from biomedical research and the pet trade, as well as with domestic animals. She has worked in a variety of roles, including managing animal rescue and care, program administration, leading community workshops, and engaging with partner organizations and the public.
Through these experiences, Jennifer’s dedication to changing the way we see and treat non-human animals has only grown. She has special interests in global wildlife law, particularly around wildlife trafficking, as well as in advocating for new, effective biomedical testing methods that do not involve the exploitation of animals. Currently, Jennifer works for Phoenix Zones Initiative, a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing the rights, health, and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet. In her free time, she regularly volunteers at Bella View Farm Sanctuary and advocates for both domestic and wild animals.
“The hundreds of animals I have worked with, and their counterparts, deserve equal moral and ethical considerations to vulnerable humans. We can help to pave a path forward by strengthening regulations, have compassion for other species and individuals, and protect those who are unable to protect themselves. I am excited to join the Lewis & Clark MSL program and to learn from, and study with, some of the top scholars in the animal protection movement.”