animal rights – Page 5 – Animal Law Developments

November 18, 2019 by John M. Simpson

Animal Rights Group’s Charity Status Revoked by Australian Authorities

by John M. Simpson.

We have reported previously on the activities of Aussie Farms, an animal rights group in Australia that, earlier this year, published an internet-based interactive map showing the locations and other information regarding hundreds of farms and other animal-based businesses in Australia. The map provoked a strong, negative reaction from the agriculture community in Australia, with some calling for the revocation of Aussie Farms’ status as a charity. On November 18, 2019, the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) announced that it had “revoked the charity status of Aussie Farms following an investigation.” Continue reading “Animal Rights Group’s Charity Status Revoked by Australian Authorities”

November 14, 2019 by John M. Simpson

Australian State Gets Tough With Animal Rights Trespassers

by John M. Simpson.

On November 13, 2019, the Parliament of New South Wales passed legislation aimed at dealing with the increasing threat to farmers and their operations posed by animal rights activists in Australia who have taken up physical property trespassing as a tactic to get their various points across. The measure, entitled the Right to Farm Bill 2019, increases the criminal penalties for aggravated trespass and creates a new offense for inciting aggravated trespass. Continue reading “Australian State Gets Tough With Animal Rights Trespassers”

September 19, 2019 by John M. Simpson

Update on Elephant Habeas Corpus Case

by John M. Simpson.

We recently reported on a case in which an animal rights group, the Nonhuman Rights Project, sought habeas corpus relief for three Asian elephants maintained in a zoo in Connecticut. The Connecticut Appellate Court affirmed the lower court’s judgment and ruled that the plaintiff had no standing because the elephants themselves had no standing. Continue reading “Update on Elephant Habeas Corpus Case”

September 4, 2019 by John M. Simpson

UK Advertising Standards Authority Bans PETA Ad As “Misleading” and Lacking Substantiation

by John M. Simpson.

On September 4, 2019 the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which describes itself as “the UK’s independent advertising regulator,” upheld a challenge to an advertisement that had been displayed for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on the side of buses in February 2019. As the authority described it, the ad “included the text ‘Don’t let them pull the wool over your eyes. Wool is just as cruel as fur. GO WOOL-FREE THIS WINTER PeTA.’ Beside the text was an image of a woman with the neck of her jumper pulled over her face.” Ten complainants challenged whether the claim “wool is just as cruel as fur” was misleading and could be substantiated. ASA upheld the challenge and ruled that the ad “must not appear in its current form” and “told PETA not to use the claim ‘wool is just as cruel as fur’ in [the] future.” Continue reading “UK Advertising Standards Authority Bans PETA Ad As “Misleading” and Lacking Substantiation”

August 23, 2019August 23, 2019 by Michelle Pardo

Goodbye Big Food, Hello Lawsuit: Animal Rights Group Files Case Over Dairy Product Marketing

By: Michelle C. Pardo

Known for its “Dairy Done Right” marketing campaign, Tillamook County Creamery Association (“Tillamook”), which produces dairy products like cheese, yogurt, ice cream and butter, is the latest target of a consumer fraud lawsuit filed this week in Oregon state court (Multnomah County). Animal rights group Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) is co-counsel to four Oregon residents and a class of similarly situated consumers who claim Tillamook uses deceptive representations when advertising and marketing its dairy products, which is likely to confuse or mislead customers. Continue reading “Goodbye Big Food, Hello Lawsuit: Animal Rights Group Files Case Over Dairy Product Marketing”

August 20, 2019 by John M. Simpson

Connecticut Appellate Court Denies Habeas Relief for Elephants

by John M. Simpson.

On August 20, 2019, a panel of the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Appellate Court officially released a decision affirming the dismissal of an action that had been brought seeking habeas corpus relief for three elephants maintained at a zoo in Goshen, Connecticut. Nonhuman Rights Project, Inc. v. R. W. Commerford and Sons, Inc., No. AC 41464 (Conn. App. Aug. 20, 2019). The petitioner Nonhuman Rights Project sought to represent the elephants as their “next friend” seeking to vindicate what was described as the animals’ “common-law right to bodily liberty.” The lower court dismissed the case on the grounds that petitioner lacked standing and, alternatively, that the petition was “wholly frivolous.” Continue reading “Connecticut Appellate Court Denies Habeas Relief for Elephants”

August 13, 2019July 16, 2021 by John M. Simpson

9th Circuit Rejects Animal Rights Organization’s Claim That a Bengal Tiger is an “Individual” Under FOIA

by John M. Simpson.

Yesterday, in Animal Legal Defense Fund v. U.S. Department of Agriculture, et al., ___ F.3d ___, No. 18-16327 (9th Cir. Aug. 12, 2019), the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a summary judgment of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California holding that a Bengal tiger is not an “individual” within the meaning of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The case had been brought by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) denied ALDF’s request for expedited treatment of its FOIA request for records concerning an inspection request regarding a tiger named “Tony.” Continue reading “9th Circuit Rejects Animal Rights Organization’s Claim That a Bengal Tiger is an “Individual” Under FOIA”

August 8, 2019October 11, 2019 by Michelle Pardo

Animal Activist Leader Steps Down In Advance of Multiple Criminal Trials

by Michelle C. Pardo

The leader and co-founder of West-coast based animal activist group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), Wayne Hsiung, announced yesterday that he will be stepping down from his leadership position at DxE and explained to his followers “why that’s a good thing.” DxE had become known for its “open rescues” — essentially stealing farm animals in order to “liberate” them — and mass arrests of the activist participants. In these raids, activists openly enter farms, usually at night, and “rescue” animals. They often videotape the incident and release it to various media forums. DxE’s “Organizer’s Handbook” states that the activists involved do not hide their identities so as to avoid being compared to “criminals, vandals and terrorists.” DxE has also favored storming into restaurants and yelling at patrons about eating meat and entering grocery stores and climbing into food cases to protest. One particular disgusting protest involved a DxE activist covering herself in feces at a San Francisco grocery store to protest that eggs come from laying hens that allegedly sit in their own waste. Many of DxE’s members have boldly embraced these extremist techniques even if they involve criminal activity, such as trespassing or stealing. Former leader Hsiung has asked fellow activists before such raids if they are “comfortable” with the possibility of doing jail time. Continue reading “Animal Activist Leader Steps Down In Advance of Multiple Criminal Trials”

August 1, 2019August 2, 2019 by Michelle Pardo

Animal Activist Group Loses “Right to Wilderness” Lawsuit

by Michelle C. Pardo

If you thought animal and environmental activists had already pushed the envelope far enough in the world of federal court litigation, think again.

This week, an Oregon federal judge ruled that a group of plaintiffs – made up of animal and environmental activist organizations and individuals – do not have a constitutional “right to wilderness” and dismissed with prejudice their lawsuit which sought to force the federal government to cease policies that contributed to climate change that, in turn, harmed plaintiffs’ enjoyment of nature and wildlife. ALDF et al. v. United States, (6:18-cv-01860-MC)(D. Oregon). Continue reading “Animal Activist Group Loses “Right to Wilderness” Lawsuit”

July 25, 2019July 26, 2019 by John M. Simpson

Baltimore Seafood Restaurant Continues to Needle PETA

by John M. Simpson.

We have reported previously (here and here) on an ongoing back and forth between animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, a seafood restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland. PETA started it with a billboard advertisement in which a Maryland crab proclaimed “I’m ME, not MEAT. See the individual. Go Vegan.” Jimmy’s responded with its own billboard asserting: “SteaMEed crabs. Here to stay. Get Famous.” Jimmy’s also trolled PETA on Twitter with humorous effect with hashtags like “#SteamThemAll.” This tactic reportedly had the effect of boosting Jimmy’s sales. Continue reading “Baltimore Seafood Restaurant Continues to Needle PETA”