On September 23, Michael Dorf, Joyce Tischler and Madeline Bernstein will be discussing Deconstructing US v Stevens: Animal Cruelty and Freedom of Speech. This 90 minute program starts at 1 PM EST.

On September 28, Temple Grandin, Cheryl Leahy and Craig Pease will be speaking about Animal Rights and the Public’s Right to Know: Farmed Animal Welfare and Consumer Labeling Issues. This program is also 90 minutes and starts at 11 AM EST. I will be moderating, and I have to say I am pretty darn excited.

If you are thinking of attending, or know someone who might be interested, please register ASAP, since the programs will only go forward if they have sufficient registrants two weeks ahead of time. Hope to “see” you there.

Photo: Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

Every Living Being: Representations of Nonhuman Animals in the Exploration of Human Well Being, by Canadian scholar Marie-France Boissonneault, sounds like a in might be a new take, with some original insights, on the human animal relationship.

Boissonneault, who is, among other things, an observer of pop culture, examines how certain animals have been portrayed in literature and art, as well as in contemporary mass media, as healers and contributors to human wellness, and compares that treatment to that of other animals who are used for consumption without any regard at all.

While we haven’t seen it yet, and can’t recommend it outright, it certainly sounds like an interesting read.

We all want the police and prosecutors to take animal abuse more seriously and enforce the laws against it as vigorously as any other crime. But the fact is that sometimes they need a helping hand — especially in understanding when an animal has been abused and in dealing with the animal victims after an arrest. Building the relationships that allow the police to accept that help is not only useful activism in the here and now, it can help build a culture that starts to take animal abuse more seriously.

That’s why it’s always interesting to see lawyers try to find a way to confront that roadblock.  Pennsylvania is a state where advocates have had some success on this front because of their system of having court appointed humane society police officers with state-wide jurisdiction. One of those officers has recently brought a petition for a writ of mandamus against a Berks County district attorney who asked the court to dismiss the charges she had brought against a local pigeon shoot. The lawsuit is supported by SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness). It will be interesting to see how this one comes out.

Photo: Used with permission from Puamella’s Flickr page via a Creative Commons License.

Wesleyan University will be hosting a conference called “Sex, Gender and Species” on February 25 and 26, 2011. The purpose of this conference is to foreground the relations between feminist and animal studies and to examine the real and theoretical problems that are central to both fields of inquiry. Conference organizers Lori Gruen and Kari Weil are seeking 1-2 page abstracts by October 1, 2010. Abstracts can be sent to lgruen@wesleyan.eduor kweil@wesleyan.edu.

If this conference comes and goes without anyone presenting a paper on the gender studies implications of the dairy and egg industries, I am going to be so disappointed.

Photo: Courtesy Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

Photo: Farm Sanctuary

Creative Online Activism from Let Live Foundation on Vimeo.

Yes, You Do Have Time for It… from Let Live Foundation on Vimeo.

What’s in it for you? Well, if my experience is any forecast, you will meet lots of great lawyers who care passionately about animals who will remain your colleagues and friends for years to come. That’s what came about when, years ago, I joined the New York City Bar Association‘s Animal Law Committee. It was at that point that, rather than seeing myself just a person who cared about animals, I felt like I was somebody who was trying to DO something!

What’s in this for the animals? One of the most important things about getting active in bar associations is that you are out there in the real world. Bar associations are full of active, political, intelligent, often progressive people who frequently, like the rest of the population, know absolutely nothing about the current treatment of animals and the laws that govern, or fail to govern, their care. While working with such people can, as we all know, have its frustrations, the opportunities for creating change are a lot greater when you are enlightening change-makers, than when you are talking to people who are already on board.

As for my afore-mentioned self interest, starting in August I will be the chair of the Animal Law Committee of the American Bar Association‘s Tort, Trial, Insurance Practice Section. The ALC is a growing and dynamic body of lawyers and it is really a privilege to be part of it. If I do say so myself, its facebook page is one of the best places around to stay on top of what’s going on in animal law. Once you are a member of the ABA (which, I might add, is very inexpensive for law students and recent graduates), you need to join the Tort, Trial, Insurance Practice Section, and then join the Animal Law Committee. I hope you to see you there!!

Photo: Animal Law Committee

I like the fact that they specifically state that their “interdisciplinary and intercultural emphasis naturally partners with the humanities and other traditional disciplines as well as with environmental and ecofeminist studies, Animal Studies with its interdisciplinary emphasis, and Human-Animals Relations.” It makes me feel like Animal Studies is really taking off as a respected field of scholarship.

Photo: Courtesy of Farm Sanctuary; taken by Derek Goodwin

It’s not clear that this television program will address any tough issues — it seems to mostly involve stories about dogs and cats working with clergy. But it does promise to include a talk with Harvard Divinity School professor Kimberley Patton regarding “the roles animals have played within the various world religions.” At least it’s a start.

Also of note, and possibly of use, to those interested in religion is this recent column from Billy Graham in response to an inquiry from a worried mother about her 16 year old’s decision to volunteer at an animal shelter and whether that violated God’s will (sigh).

Photo: Used with permission by the Creative Commons License.

However, the court did not agree, at least entirely. It agreed to hear claims that the shelter was unnecessarily euthanizing and abusing animals in violation of state law. And it put in place an injunction, pending the outcome of the lawsuit, preventing the shelter from euthanizing an animal for at least 24 hours after a rescue group sends a fax expressing plans to adopt the animal.

The plaintiff is represented by Calley Gerber, whose firm is called the Gerber Animal Law Center. It would seem that the growth of animal law, and the increasing number of lawyers setting out to make it their career, might start to pay off in finally getting some cases into court that involve the institutional use and abuse of animals.

Photo: Shared with permission from the Creative Commons License

One arena for such claims is, of course, prisons.  Another is, possibly, schools.  A third possibility presented itself with this story from England, in which an elderly, incapacitated woman was involuntarily deprived of her lifelong vegetarianism by an unfeeling hospital.

Whether a person’s beliefs regarding ethical veganism will ever be held to be entitled to protection, as the equivalent of a religious belief, under the 1st Amendment or civil rights statutes is still largely an open question. A California appeals court said that ethical veganism, even if based on sincere and deeply held beliefs, wasn’t the equivalent of a religion under the federal regulation at issue in Friedman v Southern California Permanente Medical Group, 102 Cal. App. 4th 39 (2002), at least when it wasn’t connected to a traditional religious belief. But that case is hardly the end of the road on this issue. (And it will come as no surprise that I think it was wrongly decided.)

As vegans grow more numerous, and some grow older, this is an important area  for lawyers to pay attention to.  Hospitals and nursing homes (especially if they receive government funding!) should be obligated to feed people a diet that comports with their ethics, regardless of whether their ethics are rooted in what most people think of as “religion.” For so many people, veganism is not just a lifestyle, or the expression of an ethical belief, it is fundamentally central to their world view and at the very core of their being. They should have a right to have it respected.

One small group of wildlife lovers in Toronto has found a way to help big time. FLAP, or Fatal Light Awareness Program, tries to encourage Toronto’s glass towers to keep their lights off at night to prevent birds, attracted by the lights, from crashing into windows. And, they do so much more. On early morning patrols, they search for and pick up the victims. And much of the time, they are able to find birds who, though stunned, can be rehabilitated. (I love these people.) And, as if that weren’t enough, they got  a story written about their work in a major Canadian paper, mentioning veganism. Nice work, guys.

An animal happened to us when we were in Puerto Rico – a wonderful, and pretty desperate, dog who is now named Tips. So, in addition to helping out in getting him to safety, we tried to follow our own advice and make him a star by spreading his story, and the plight of so many animals just like him, as far and wide as possible. Hopefully, in the process, we will also bring some attention to the wonderful rescue organization that helped us out, All Sato Rescue. Jasmin’s video tells the story:

Rescuing Tips from jasmin singer on Vimeo.

There are clearly many topics within this broad subject that might be of interest to those who would like to explore the intersections between race and ethnicity and exploitation by the meat industrial complex, either as employer or as supplier of food. Among the topics that are suggested (the list is not exclusive) are: “The worker/race construct of the meatpacking and poultry processing industry”; “The racial structure of poultry production (contractors, catchers, plants)” and; “The emerging racial/immigrant labor structure of the dairy industry.” Other topics that come to mind include food deserts, the effect of commodity subsidies on food availability based on race/ethnicity, varying health implications of an animal-centric diet based on race , etc., etc., etc.

Photo: Courtesy of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

Since Horowitz is known for the irony inherent in many of his works, it comes as no surprise that the exhibition will be at Gavin Brown’s enterprise, a gallery which has just vastly expanded its space into that formerly occupied by its erstwhile neighbor, Pat LaFrieda Meats. (Unfortunately, the meat packing company will not be closing down — just moving to cheaper digs in New Jersey). Apparently, the exhibit will use some of the equipment left behind by the meat packer.

Horowitz certainly seems to be the real deal. In a 2009 NY Times profile, he listed the Lower East Side’s vegan emporium MooShoes as his favorite store.

Photo: By Ytoyoda via Creative Commons License.

This is a great project that anyone can do in their community, their state, whatever. Of course, many of us do not live in places as progressive as Britain, where all the parties have platforms on animal issues. But that needn’t stop you from gathering information about who is running and letting folks know what you have found out. If they are incumbents, just find out how they voted in the past on some crucial animal bills in your district. Then get that out. If they are running for the first time, or you just want to find out more than their voting record can tell you — just call them up. It is amazing how easy it can be to get in touch with someone who is running for office. And if they won’t give you information, and commitments, that’s certainly something to blog about as well.

Of course, some lucky communities have organizations that are doing this kind of work  –like NYC, where voters can avail themselves of the New York League of Humane Voters’ scorecards and candidate forums (check out our podcast interview with the League’s president John Phillips). But, you certainly don’t have to be part of an organization to gather information about candidates. In fact, most not-for-profit organizations are not permitted to endorse candidates for office, so individuals who do this kind of work could be filling an enormous void. And don’t forget that this is not just for the big elections. Local officials can have an enormous influence on animal protection issues. Does your school board candidate support humane education? Is your City Council representative trying to put in a breed ban?  How do they feel about the circus coming to town?

Photo: Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

One of the signs of the times that such courses of study are ready to take off is the imminent publication of “Teaching the Animal: Human–Animal Studies across the Disciplines.” While a few texts and/or readers, and, of course, gazillions of articles have already been published for use in classes on human-animal studies, this book is the first that we have heard of that actually offers advice to teachers from a wide array of academics on how to teach the course. This should be an enormously valuable resource for professors who would like to start adding human-animal studies courses to their repertoire as well as students trying to persuade their colleges and universities to get with the program.

The book will be published by Lantern and will be out in May.

Photos: Front cover of Teaching the Animal

If you are interested in working to rectify this situation, here are two calls for papers for interdisciplinary environmental conferences that might be amenable to contributions concerning animals.

The first is from the Interdisciplinary Environmental Association, which is looking for contributions for the 16th International Interdisciplinary Conference on the Environment, which will be held in Tucson in September.  The range of participation is very broad:

The conference welcomes environmental practitioners, academics, and interested colleagues regardless of discipline or country. Participants may organize sessions …, present papers, participate in poster sessions, chair sessions, discuss papers, participate in round-table discussions, or simply observe. The conference also welcomes papers and posters submitted by students, both graduate and undergraduate.

Unsurprisingly, none of the topics listed as the (non-exclusive) focus of the conference specifically references animals, but a number of them are absolutely begging for a discussion of the impact of animal agriculture and food choices on the environment, including: “Water in a Thirsty World; Environmental Impacts of Tourism; Latin American Environmental Issues; Policy, Economics, and Climate Change; Campus Environmental Initiatives; and The Economics of Sustainability.”

The second conference is a huge opportunity for academics interested in marine life (also known, to those of an exploitative nature, as “sea food”).  It will be held by the European Society for Environmental History in Turku, Finland, from June 28 to July 2, 2011. The theme of the conference will be “Encounters of Sea and Land,” and suggested topics include the “History of man-animal relationship, food supply and biodiversity” and the “History of whaling, fishing and overfishing.” Like the other conference, this one is open to scholars of all disciplines and backgrounds.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/ / CC BY 2.0

… the case of U.S. v. Stevens, currently pending before the United States Supreme Court.  Submissions should discuss the potential impact of the Court’s ruling on the future of state and federal animal anticruelty and welfare legislation.  The Center also welcomes submissions that address related issues including, but not limited to, the effects of free speech and religious expression on animal protection statutes, the correlation between animal abuse and violent behavior, and the relationship between the promotion of illegal dog fighting and other criminal activity.

For additional information, or to submit a paper for consideration, you can contact Emily Winfield at ewinfie1@depaul.edu or (312) 362-6799.

Photo: Courtesy of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. Photo by Derek Goodwin.

While every lawyer ends up specializing in a particular area of the law, few manage to make a nice living fighting the good fight, much less by suing the same recalcitrant defendant over and over and over.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tracy_olson/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

This call for papers from the Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture seems like a very cool opportunity for those who delve deeper into these kind of subjects to examine and convey an animal-centric view of the film’s message.

Unfortunately, the March 1 deadline for proposals is already upon us, but there seems to be some flexibility. The papers are due in July.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinosaurcountry/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

These laws may be flawed and inadequate (as is pretty obvious from the way animals are actually treated without anyone being arrested) and there is every reason to try to pass better ones. But, in the mean time, we can’t ignore the fact that one of the reasons these laws don’t do a better job of protecting animals is that they are just not very well enforced.

It is therefore exciting when a District Attorney takes a real interest in enforcing cruelty laws. District Attorneys are responsible for prosecuting crimes in their counties ranging all the way from murder and rape, to embezzlement, to shoplifting, etc., etc., etc. Way too often, animal cruelty gets lost in the shuffle. But, in a lot of places, that is starting to shift. One place is Nassau County, New York, a densely populated suburb of New York City. Kathleen Rice, the Nassau County District Attorney, has just announced a new animal cruelty unit and tip hotline to handle animal neglect and abuse cases.

If you are a lawyer working in a District Attorney’s office that doesn’t have this kind of unit (most don’t), or know someone who is, and you are interested in pursuing animal cruelty cases, anything you can do to encourage the creation of such a unit would be a huge step forward. Not only would there be better enforcement of the laws as they relate to companion animals, but it could be a stepping stone toward seeking enforcement of the laws as they relate to the institutional abuses of animals, whether in agriculture, circuses, rodeos, etc., etc. While some of these institutional uses may be exempt from the cruelty laws in some states, many others are not — they are merely ignored.

Even if you aren’t an assistant D.A., or a lawyer, you are a voter, and District Attorneys run for election. Anything you can do to make this a campaign issue the next time your D.A. is running could make a huge difference for the animals in your county.

Since animal activism and food activism are in many ways the exact same cause, if you are a parent (or even if you are not) working on improving school lunches is an enormously important way to bring healthy plant-based eating into the mainstream (and make our kids a lot healthier, to boot). Of course, this will not be an exclusively vegan effort, but the more vegan voices that are heard, the more everyone will be exposed to the message that plants are what children (and the rest of us!) need to be eating. One great resource in this effort is the New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods. Its pilot programs, in which children in select NYC schools are being given healthy plant-based lunch options, are relevant not only in New York, but in any school district where parents are trying to do something about school lunches.