Articles

A majority of states have enacted laws requiring releasing agencies to sterilize cats and dogs they adopt out in an effort to reduce the number of unwanted animals. Exceptions to the mandatory sterilization laws are often made for owners and for medically unfit animals. Violations are punishable both civilly and criminally.

Animal swap meets are places where people buy, sell or trade animals in an open-air, flea-market-style setting. Swap meet vendors sell and trade a wide range of animals, from birds, to farm animals, to cats and dogs.

High school level summary of Texas animal cruelty laws. The article touches on Texas criminal and civil cruelty laws, the limited scope of the Texas criminal provisions, and the newly enacted laws that deal with dangerous wild animals.

This quick summary examines the historical reasons behind the passage of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. It also lists the relevant provisions of the Act, including what actions violate the Act and the potential penalties violators face, as well as what controversies the Act has created. At the bottom of the document are links to more detailed analyses of the Act.

A brief description of the biology and behavior of the domestic chicken.

This article provides a short summary of the link between animal abuse and domestic abuse. It discusses the connection between the two and the steps that are being taken to break the cycle.

The Endangered Species Act ("ESA") prohibits importing, exporting, taking, possessing, selling, and transporting endangered and threatened species (with certain exceptions). ESA also provides for the designation of critical habitat and prohibits the destruction of that habitat. ESA provisions are enforced through the use of citizen suits, imprisonment, fines, and forfeiture.

Many states have enacted EALA, which limits equine professionals’ liability for injury or death to equestrian participants. EALA only limits liability if the injury or death had been due to an inherent risk involved with interacting with horses. EALA does not limit liability if the injury or death had been caused by a non-inherent risk or caused by the equine professional’s own negligence.

This article gives a quick summary of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA). The Act requires that humane methods of slaughtering and handling livestock in connection with slaughter be used. Livestock animals, such as cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep, swine, and goats, must be rendered insensible to pain before being shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut.

This article gives a quick overview of the initiative and referendum process for states. The general requirements to implement such a ballot proposal as well as the potential concerns are provided.

This brief summary overviews the problems associated with the international illegal reptile trade.

The Lacey Act prohibits international and domestic wildlife trafficking. The Act makes it a separate crime to trade in wildlife, fish, and plants that have been taken in violation of other federal, state, or foreign laws. The Act also prohibits falsifying documents used for wildlife shipments and failing to mark wildlife shipments. Violators are subject to civil and criminal penalties. 

This summary briefly examines the laws pertaining to zoo animals on the state, federal, and international level. Until the laws are improved, and there is stricter control and more enforcement, zoo animals will continue to suffer.

A brief summary of the state and federal laws that currently offer protection to the domestic chicken, whether used for food production, as pets or as research animals. The paper examines laws in the United States, Europe and New Zealand.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) was passed in 1918 to combat over-hunting and poaching that supplied the enormous demand for feathers to adorn women’s hats.  State-level hunting laws were not working, and bird populations were being decimated.  At first, the Act was based on a sing

The gray wolf was almost extinct in the lower 48 states of the United States in the middle of the 1900s. Thanks to the help of the Endangered Species Act the gray wolf is well on its way to recovery. This summary discusses the

This summary examines the legal issues that arise when animal activist take extreme measures to document animal cruelty. Their actions, ofter termed "ecoterrorism," often involve taking photographs of alleged animal cruelty that can often be admitted at trial. However, many states have begun to enact laws targeting the actions of animal activists.

This brief summary provides the main features of the US Animal Welfare Act (AWA) enacted in 1966,

This article provides an overview of the elements of a veterinary malpractice case, possible defenses to such an action, and issues related to professional licensing of veterinarians.

This article presents a brief summary of the laws affecting wildlife rehabilitators. Wildlife rehabilitators care for orphaned and/or injured wildlife with the goal of returning animals back into their native habitat. Although a rehabilitator’s focus is on the care of wildlife, rehabilitators necessarily spend time complying with local, state, and federal laws, fundraising activities, coordinating volunteers, and educating the public about wildlife.