Animal Law Podcast

If you are pleased that California’s Prop 12 (which, in a small but important way, limits the amount of suffering that can be imposed on mother pigs) survived in the Supreme Court, but you are still unclear as to exactly why and exactly who voted for what, you have come to the right place. Today I will be talking, once again,…

On this episode, I will be talking, once again, to Vanessa Shakib of the California law firm, Advancing Law for Animals. Vanessa is representing E.L., who, though you don’t know her by name, you have definitely heard about. She is the young girl whose beloved goat, Cedar, who started out as a 4H project, was brutally killed against E.L.’s wishes in…

On this episode, I will be talking, once again, with Asher Smith, Director of Litigation at the PETA Foundation, about a recent victory in the 9th Circuit in Sullivan v The University of Washington. This case involves a crucially important aspect of the Animal Welfare Act – the IACUC, or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. The Act provides, rather unfortunately,…

On today’s episode, I will be talking to Margie Robinson, an attorney with the Humane Society of the United States. Margie will be telling us about Humane Society of the United States v National Institutes of Health, the latest lawsuit in the years-long effort to relocate to sanctuary ALL the chimpanzees formerly held for research by the National Institutes of Health…

On this episode, I will be talking to Taimie Bryant, a law professor at UCLA School of Law. She will explain some of the ins and outs of a law review article she recently published in the Marquette Law Review entitled “Novel Food Ingredients: Food Safety Law, Animal Testing, and Consumer Perspectives.” This article involves the question of what the FDA…

Today I will be talking to Raffael Fasel and Sean Butler, who are the founders of the Cambridge Center for Animal Rights Law at Cambridge University in the UK. They are doing something quite special — a series of workshops in various parts of the world seeking to help law professors and lawyers, and perhaps some others, develop courses at their…

On this episode, I will be talking to Alene Anello, whose law firm, Legal Impact for Chickens, is pursuing a shareholder derivative case against Costco regarding the treatment of the poor little birds whose bodies end up being their extremely popular, and very cheap, rotisserie chickens. Essentially, in Smith v Vachris, currently pending in Superior Court in King County, Washington, Legal…

On this episode I will be discussing a case that a lot of you have no doubt heard of, and that is National Pork Producers Council v Ross, which was recently argued in the Supreme Court. This case brings into question the constitutionality of Proposition 12, something else which many of you may be familiar with, by which California set certain…

On this episode, I will be discussing State of Utah v Hsiung, the case that has everyone in the movement talking. Wayne Hsiung and Jon Frohnmeyer will be here to discuss the prosecution of Wayne, along with his co-defendant Paul Picklesimer, for burglary and theft for entering a huge Smithfield factory farm in Utah and, while there, rescuing two sick piglets.…

On this episode I will be discussing  Krasno v Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin, a crazy case involving comments made on the Facebook and Instagram accounts of the University involving the dreadful research conducted on primates at the University and, in particular, at the infamous Harlow Center for Biological Psychology. Joining me will be both the plaintiff in…

It’s become pretty clear that the more that meat-eating consumers find out about how the animals they eat were treated, the more temptation there is for the industry to, shall we say, fudge the truth. Thus, today I will be talking to Dije Ndreu and Brooke Dekolf of Richman Law and Policy about two cases they are currently litigating regarding the…

On this episode I will be speaking with Jessica Rubin, who is the Associate Dean of Experiential Learning and the Director of the Animal Law Clinic at the University of Connecticut School of Law. She will be discussing a Connecticut law, called Desmond’s Law, which allows law students, and lawyers, to be appointed to assist the court in certain animal cruelty cases…

On this episode I will be talking to Asher Smith, who is the Director of Litigation at the PETA Foundation, about Usler v Vital Farms, which is a class action against an egg facility which makes some very elaborate claims about how well they are treating their hens (“our girls!”) and charges their customers a hefty premium for doing so. So,…

On this episode I will be talking, once again, to Kelsey Eberly, who is now with Harvard Law School’s Animals, Law and Policy Program, as well as with Dena Jones of the Animal Welfare Institute about the deeply troubling topic of chicken slaughter. Specifically, we will be discussing Animal Welfare Institute v Vilsack, a case involving the rather confusing landscape of…

On this week’s podcast I will be talking to Will Lowrey of Animal Outlook about a case that really has everyone in the animal law community talking. Several years ago Animal Outlook conducted an undercover investigation of Martin Farms, in Pennsylvania, a dairy farm that proved to be the locus of much hideous cruelty to animals. Some of that cruelty was…

Welcome to the Animal Law Podcast. This is Mariann Sullivan and this week’s guest is Charlotte Blattner, a Swiss lawyer and professor of law, who will be talking about primates in Switzerland and a recent ballot initiative held in Basel initiated by the Swiss organization Sentience regarding their rights. Charlotte and I will discuss this very recent effort, the pluses and…

Welcome to the Animal Law Podcast. This is Mariann Sullivan, and this week we will be doing something a little bit different. Sherry Colb is a professor at Cornell Law School where, among many other things, she teaches an animal centric course that, to my knowledge, is quite different from most of the courses relating to animals taught at law schools.…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Tyler Lobdell about Food and Water Watch v Environmental Protection Agency, in which the 9th Circuit recently held that the EPA, in setting forth permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act for the way Idaho factory farms dispose of the staggering amount of manure that they are producing, was not,…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak, once again, with Steven Wise, founder and president of the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP). He joins me to talk about a truly extraordinary, potentially groundbreaking, case now pending in the highest court in New York State. As in the other cases Steve has joined us to discuss in the past, the…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with David Ebert, co-founder of The Animal Defense Partnerhip, about the work of this “pro bono counsel for animal protection charities.” As David points out, the purpose of ADP is not to litigate animal rights issues, but to provide animal protection nonprofits with the legal services that any type of organization…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with David Michelson, Oregon-based animal rights activist and chief petitioner of the Yes On IP13 campaign, which is the effort to pass a ballot initiative that would dramatically change the legal landscape for animals in that state. Basically, what they are trying to do is to make Oregon’s anti-cruelty law do…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Piper Hoffman of Animal Outlook and, once again, to Jay Shooster, of the Richman Law Group, about Animal Outlook v Cooke Aquaculture, a consumer protection case brought in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia based in allegations of deceptive advertising about the welfare of fish, specifically the salmon…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Cristina Stella, a managing attorney at the Animal Legal Defense Fund, about ALDF v Foster Poultry Farms, currently pending in Superior Court in Merced County, California. This fascinating case is rooted in a provision of the California state constitution governing water use. I have to say even I was shocked…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Emily Jeffers of the  Center for Biological Diversity about the 9th Circuit’s recent decision in Center for Biological Diversity v Haaland, in which the court decided that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s sudden about face, in 2017, on whether the Pacific Walrus is subject to the protections of the Endangered Species…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Professor Karen Bradshaw about her new book,  Wildlife as Property Owners: A New Conception of Animal Rights, which has been making quite a splash in the animal law world. It’s not often we get a chance to talk about property law and trusts and estates law on this podcast but…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Laura Fox and Daniel Wiener about The Humane Society of the United States v. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, in which animal advocacy groups are taking on the USDA’s plans for what to do to the chickens who, trapped in factory farms, inevitably…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Vanessa Shakib of Advancing Law for Animals about Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation and Stop Animal Exploitation Now! (“SAEN”) v USDA, in which the plaintiffs sought to vacate two rules promulgated by USDA’s Animal Care division without notice to the public or an opportunity to comment, as required by the…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Christopher Berry, a managing attorney in the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Litigation Program, where he oversees strategic impact litigation to protect the lives of and advance the interests of animals. Christopher and I speak about Caru SPCA v Anthony, in which a California backyard breeder/puppy mill was shut down by the…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I am so pleased to welcome Brittany Peet, Deputy General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement for the PETA Foundation. We follow up on her appearance on Episode 42 when she told us all about PETA’s case against notorious roadside zoo and big cat abuser Tim Stark of Indiana’s “Wildlife in Need.” Little…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I welcome Laura Fox, Staff Attorney for Farm Animal Protection at The Humane Society of the United States, to talk about the 4th Circuit’s decision in McKiver v Murphy Brown, which has created quite a stir in the animal law world. It is a story which we have all heard before — neighbors…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I welcome back Rebecca Cary of the Humane Society of the United States to speak with us about the recent decision from the Ninth Circuit in North American Meat Institute v Becerra, in which the court upheld Proposition 12 in the face of arguments by the plaintiff that it violates the Dormant Commerce Clause.…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Jay Shooster, of the Richman Law Group, about two complaints the firm has filed with the Federal Trade Commission, on behalf of various complainants, about representations Tyson Foods has made about the chicken flesh that it sells in grocery stores around the country. From whether the products made of that…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I am once again lucky enough to be speaking with Eric Glitzenstein, this time about a recent resounding success for animals, specifically birds, in Natural Resources Defense Council v US Dept. of the Interior. This case involves a recent “opinion” issued by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which, since its issuance, has…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Cheryl Leahy, Executive Vice President of Animal Outlook, about US ex rel. COK v Superior Farms, which arose out of Animal Outlook’s investigation into the largest lamb slaughterhouse in the US. This investigation uncovered numerous violations of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) as well as the…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak once again to Amanda Howell of the Animal Legal Defense Fund about Miyoko’s Kitchen v Ross, in which one of our very favorite companies is suing the State of California, specifically its Department of Food and Agriculture, for violating its rights under the First Amendment. The lawsuit arose out of  certain…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Bruce Wagman about American Anti-Vivisection Society v USDA, in which the 9th Circuit recently held that, at long (really, really long) last, the USDA will be required to write regulations to protect those birds who are covered by the Animal Welfare Act, such as those in the wholesale pet trade,…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Alexis Andiman and Sylvia Lam about Cape Fear River Watch v. United States Environmental Protection Agency, a case currently pending in the Fourth Circuit, in which their clients challenge the EPA’s guidelines for the amount of pollution that slaughterhouses are permitted to emit into waterways. With slaughterhouses in the news…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with regular Animal Law Podcast guest Delcianna Winders along with two of her students in the Lewis and Clark Law School Animal Law Litigation Clinic, Hira Jaleel and Irene Au-Young, on a case they filed on behalf of several animal welfare organizations including Farm Sanctuary, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Outlook,…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I’m bringing you something a little bit different. I speak with Wayne Hsiung of Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), who is a lawyer but is also one of the defendants in the cases we’ll be speaking about today. The felony charges being brought against him and other DxE activists, in multiple states, are a…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Rebecca Cary of the Humane Society of the United States about Just Puppies v Frosh, a case brought against the Attorney General of of Maryland arguing that that state’s ban on the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores was unconstitutional. Rebecca is the attorney who wrote and filed…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Cristina Kladis and Professor Delcianna Winders of the Lewis and Clark Law School Animal Law Litigation Clinic about the very first case filed by the clinic, Farm Sanctuary v USDA. This very important lawsuit seeks to invalidate the agency’s new rules eliminating line speed limits for pig slaughter, thereby putting…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Jessica Blome and Amanda Howell about the second chapter in the legal effort to close down Cricket Hollow Zoo, a sad roadside “attraction” where animals have been languishing in terrible conditions for years. I last spoke to Jessica on Episode 10 about some Endangered Species Act litigation that managed to…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Professor Katherine Meyer, Director of the Animal Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School, along with two of her students, Boanne Wassink and Brett Richey. The three of them speak with me about the very first case filed by the Animal Law and Policy Clinic, New England Anti-Vivisection Society…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Professor Sherry Colb of Cornell Law School along with one of her students, Jareb Gleckel. We’ll be speaking about a recent article they have co-written, “Labeling Alternative Meat: Constitutional Choices That Can Dictate the Future of Food,” __ Animal L. R. __ (forthcoming, 2020), that is about the constitutionality of…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Margaret Kwoka a professor at the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver, about the Animal Welfare Act and the Freedom of Information Act,  and how these pertain to the ongoing case of Animal Legal Defense Fund vs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture. This case involves the USDA’s…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Marc Fink, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity and an expert in Public Lands Law and the Endangered Species Act. We discuss the recent decision in Save the Scenic Santa Ritas v US Army Corps of Engineers. This important case involves the potential construction of a huge copper…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak once again with Justin Marceau, author of the controversial new book Beyond Cages: Animal Law and Criminal Punishment. We discuss why he believes there has been an overemphasis on criminal prosecution of animal abuse as a strategy for systemic change and what types of cruelty he believes are, and are not,…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Laura Fox of the Humane Society of the United States about administrative efforts to address false and deceptive advertising from Pilgrim’s Pride regarding their treatment of chickens.  These efforts include a complaint made to the Federal Trade Commission asking it to investigate the advertising and enjoin Pilgrim’s Pride from continuing…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak to Abby Volin about how the issue of finding housing with pets is directly related to the complex legal issues surrounding both service and assistance animals (spoiler alert: they are not the same thing!). She tells me about how most housing providers haven’t kept up with the needs of renters who live…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak to Kelsey Eberly and David Muraskin about what the average consumer thinks when they see the words, “Natural Choice,” on a meat or poultry product and what the truth is about the products that carry that label. That’s the fundamental issue in the case that they have been litigating in the…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast I welcome back to the Animal Law Podcast regular guest Delci Winders, who will give us updates on some interesting Animal Welfare Act cases. The first case deals with the blackout on the USDA’s website regarding information dealing with enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act. In 2017 the USDA deleted many Animal Welfare…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast I speak to Christopher Berry of the Animal Legal Defense Fund about ALDF vs. The Food and Drug Administration, an unusual and years-long Freedom of Information Act case involving attempts to obtain information about egg-laying hens in Texas. This case went to a full-blown trial, took up hundreds of attorney hours, and changed…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast I speak to Jonathan Lovvorn, Chief Counsel and Senior VP for Animal Protection at the Humane Society of the United States. He tells us about some recent cases that attempted to invalidate statutory bans on the sale of particularly cruel products, including caged eggs, foie gras, and other products produced in extreme confinement,…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast I speak to Amanda Howell, a Staff Attorney at the Animal Legal Defense Fund, about a lawsuit that was recently brought in federal court in Missouri seeking to invalidate, as unconstitutional, a law that prohibits the producers of plant-based and cell-based products from misrepresenting those products as “meat.” The plaintiffs in this case, Tofurky…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I talk to Brittany Peet, the director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement at the PETA Foundation, about her efforts to use the Endangered Species Act to help some tiger cubs and other animals who have been subjected to horrific maltreatment at the rather disturbingly named organization Wildlife In Need, a roadside exhibitor in…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I talk to Tony Eliseuson of the Animal Legal Defense Fund about the potential impact of the proposed and proceeding border wall between the United States and Mexico on many species of animals, including endangered ones. We also discuss the several ongoing legal cases surrounding these issues which are based on a wholesale…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I’m so pleased to welcome back Matthew Liebman of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, who will be speaking with us about the case of JUSTICE, an American Quarter Horse, by and through his Guardian, Kim Mosiman, Plaintiff, v. GWENDOLYN VERCHER, Defendant. It is certainly a unique case. Justice is bringing a negligence per se…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I’m so pleased to welcome back environmental lawyer Bill Eubanks of Meyer, Glitzenstein & Eubanks, who will be speaking with us about wild horses. Specifically, he will be discussing plans currently underway at the Bureau of Land Management to clear all the wild horses out of the Caliente Complex, a 700,000 acre area…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I’m so pleased to welcome back Gabriel Walters, Counsel and Manager of Legislative Affairs for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Foundation, where he contributes to PETA’s efforts to pass legislation and win court cases that help animals. Joining us will be PETA Research Associate Jeremy Beckham, who will be providing…

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I’m bringing you something a little different. I speak with Justin Marceau not about a litigated case, but about the Animal Welfare Act and his recent Hastings Law Journal article, “How The Animal Welfare Act Harms Animals”.  We talk about the failings of this statute and the suffering that the Act contributes to,…