Animal Legal Defense Fund
Encyclopedia
The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) is an American non-profit law organization that aims to protect the rights
and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. It was founded in 1979 by attorneys
active in shaping the emerging field of animal law
. The ALDF has campaigned for stronger enforcement of anti-animal cruelty laws and more humane treatment of animals. Their activities include filing lawsuit
s, providing legal assistance to prosecutors handling cruelty cases, working to strengthen state anti-cruelty statute
s and hosting seminars, workshops and other outreach efforts. In addition to their national headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area
, the Animal Legal Defense Fund maintains an office in Portland, Oregon
.
and the entertainment business; a criminal justice
program, which assists law enforcement
agencies and legal prosecutor
s in seeking maximum penalties for those who abuse animals; and an animal law program, to advance the field of animal law in law school
s and among legal professionals.
briefs arguing the case for "recognition of the bonds between humans and nonhuman animals." The ALDF also awards grants
to attorneys involved in animal-related cases, provides expert testimony and assists those seeking non-economic damages
in cases involving death or injury of a companion animal.
Examples of litigation by ALDF include suits filed in North Carolina
, a state that permits uninvolved third parties
to sue an animal abuser. One sought custody of 106 dogs held in negligent conditions by a dog breeder. A settlement was reached whereby the breeder surrendered ownership of the dogs. In 2005 the organization sued a Californian animal trainer who had they accused of violating the Endangered Species Act
and anti-cruelty statutes by beating chimpanzee
s with sticks. The suit was settled without the trainer acknowledging any wrongdoing, however the chimps were retired from performing and transferred to a animal sanctuary
in Florida. In 2007 the ALDF filed a lawsuit against a pig farming
company, who they claimed were intensively breeding pigs at a Californian farm in conditions that were in violation of the state's anti-cruelty laws. The organization sought a court order
to improve the treatment of the animals, and urged the Los Angeles Dodgers
to cease buying hot dogs from the supplier to "avoid the stigma" of association. In 2008 the suit was dropped when the company stopped breeding pigs at the farm for a "variety of business reasons."
coordinators interested in developing animal law volunteer opportunities at their firms.
On the same day ALDF launched its Expose Animal Abusers campaign, California Senator Dean Florez
announced a bill to create an animal abuser registry for the state that would require animal abusers to register in their communities.
After more than 100 live and approximately 150 dead Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes were removed from Kenneth Lang Jr’s filthy home in 2009, ALDF provided a grant of $3,500 to allow the Dearborn Police Department to conduct necropsies on 10 of the Chihuahuas whose bodies were removed from freezers on 56-year-old Lang’s property. Kenneth Lang Jr. pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in January 2010.
2009
ALDF won a tremendous victory in securing permanent custody of seven horses rescued from Michael, Judy, and Gayle Keating, the abusive North Carolina owners who allowed them to starve nearly to death, in the case of ALDF v. Keating.
On October 6, the United States Supreme Court directly addressed the issue of animal cruelty for the first time in more than fifteen years. ALDF submitted an amicus curiae brief in the case of U.S. v. Stevens
, urging the Court to uphold the law and recognize that the prevention of cruelty to animals is a compelling government interest.
2008
In August, ALDF filed lawsuits in Kentucky against Estill and Robertson Counties for neglecting their homeless animals, despite their legal requirement to provide basic humane care.
ALDF called on Kentucky's legislature to push for comprehensive changes in its laws protecting horses and other animal; the Bluegrass State ranked dead last in the nation for animal protection laws in 2008.
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. It was founded in 1979 by attorneys
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
active in shaping the emerging field of animal law
Animal law
Animal law is a combination of statutory and case law in which the nature—legal, social or biological—of nonhuman animals is an important factor. Animal law encompasses companion animals, wildlife, animals used in entertainment and animals raised for food and research...
. The ALDF has campaigned for stronger enforcement of anti-animal cruelty laws and more humane treatment of animals. Their activities include filing lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
s, providing legal assistance to prosecutors handling cruelty cases, working to strengthen state anti-cruelty statute
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
s and hosting seminars, workshops and other outreach efforts. In addition to their national headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, the Animal Legal Defense Fund maintains an office in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
Programs
The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s primary programs include a litigation program, aimed at stopping the abuse of companion animals, and animals abused in industries including factory farmingFactory farming
Factory farming is a term referring to the process of raising livestock in confinement at high stocking density, where a farm operates as a factory — a practice typical in industrial farming by agribusinesses. The main products of this industry are meat, milk and eggs for human consumption...
and the entertainment business; a criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
program, which assists law enforcement
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
agencies and legal prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
s in seeking maximum penalties for those who abuse animals; and an animal law program, to advance the field of animal law in law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
s and among legal professionals.
Litigation
The ALDF has "hundreds of dedicated attorneys" that may bring suits themselves, or the organization may retain outside legal counsel. Their civil actions include filing amicus curiaeAmicus curiae
An amicus curiae is someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information to assist a court in deciding a matter before it...
briefs arguing the case for "recognition of the bonds between humans and nonhuman animals." The ALDF also awards grants
Grant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
to attorneys involved in animal-related cases, provides expert testimony and assists those seeking non-economic damages
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
in cases involving death or injury of a companion animal.
Examples of litigation by ALDF include suits filed in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, a state that permits uninvolved third parties
Third party beneficiary
A third party beneficiary, in the law of contracts, is a person who may have the right to sue on a contract, despite not having originally been an active party to the contract. This right, known as a ius quaesitum tertio, arises where the third party is the intended beneficiary of the contract,...
to sue an animal abuser. One sought custody of 106 dogs held in negligent conditions by a dog breeder. A settlement was reached whereby the breeder surrendered ownership of the dogs. In 2005 the organization sued a Californian animal trainer who had they accused of violating the Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
and anti-cruelty statutes by beating chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s with sticks. The suit was settled without the trainer acknowledging any wrongdoing, however the chimps were retired from performing and transferred to a animal sanctuary
Animal sanctuary
An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and be protected for the rest of their lives. Unlike animal shelters, sanctuaries do not seek to place animals with individuals or groups, instead maintaining each animal until his or her natural death...
in Florida. In 2007 the ALDF filed a lawsuit against a pig farming
Pig farming
There are various methods of pig farming depending on the method of management adopted. Variables include:* Money or capital available* The type of animals kept* Local requirements and market conditions* The level of management skills...
company, who they claimed were intensively breeding pigs at a Californian farm in conditions that were in violation of the state's anti-cruelty laws. The organization sought a court order
Court order
A court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
to improve the treatment of the animals, and urged the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
to cease buying hot dogs from the supplier to "avoid the stigma" of association. In 2008 the suit was dropped when the company stopped breeding pigs at the farm for a "variety of business reasons."
Criminal Justice
ALDF’s Criminal Justice Program is staffed by attorneys, including former prosecutors, with expertise in animal protection law who provide free legal assistance to prosecutors and law enforcement agencies. They aim to ensure that state criminal anti-cruelty statutes are vigorously enforced and that those convicted of animal cruelty and neglect receive appropriate sentences. They also work with state legislators to enact felony anti-cruelty statutes in states that do not yet have them and to upgrade existing laws in states that do. The Criminal Justice Program also maintains a nationwide database of animal cruelty cases and current and model animal protection laws available to prosecutors, legislators and researchers.Animal Law
ALDF’s Animal Law Program works closely with law students and law professionals to advance the emerging field of animal law. The Animal Law Program also assists bar association members interested in forming animal law bar sections or committees and partners with pro bonoPro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
coordinators interested in developing animal law volunteer opportunities at their firms.
Cases & Campaigns
2010On the same day ALDF launched its Expose Animal Abusers campaign, California Senator Dean Florez
Dean Florez
Dean Raymond Florez was a California State Senator from the 16th Senate District from 2002 until the end of his second term in November of 2010.Florez was born and reared in the Central Valley....
announced a bill to create an animal abuser registry for the state that would require animal abusers to register in their communities.
After more than 100 live and approximately 150 dead Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes were removed from Kenneth Lang Jr’s filthy home in 2009, ALDF provided a grant of $3,500 to allow the Dearborn Police Department to conduct necropsies on 10 of the Chihuahuas whose bodies were removed from freezers on 56-year-old Lang’s property. Kenneth Lang Jr. pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in January 2010.
2009
ALDF won a tremendous victory in securing permanent custody of seven horses rescued from Michael, Judy, and Gayle Keating, the abusive North Carolina owners who allowed them to starve nearly to death, in the case of ALDF v. Keating.
On October 6, the United States Supreme Court directly addressed the issue of animal cruelty for the first time in more than fifteen years. ALDF submitted an amicus curiae brief in the case of U.S. v. Stevens
United States v. Stevens
United States v. Stevens, 559 U.S. ___, 130 S.Ct. 1577 was an April 20, 2010 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, which ruled that the version of 18 U.S.C...
, urging the Court to uphold the law and recognize that the prevention of cruelty to animals is a compelling government interest.
2008
In August, ALDF filed lawsuits in Kentucky against Estill and Robertson Counties for neglecting their homeless animals, despite their legal requirement to provide basic humane care.
ALDF called on Kentucky's legislature to push for comprehensive changes in its laws protecting horses and other animal; the Bluegrass State ranked dead last in the nation for animal protection laws in 2008.
External links
- aldf.org - Official website
- A short video about the Animal Legal Defense Fund on YouTube.