Although lawyers have been dealing with legal matters concerning animals, animal law as a primary practice is a fairly new area of law to the public and legal field. In most cases, animals are often treated as property of their owners and any legal dispute concerning them means they are only recognized and handled as the owner's property. However, animal lawyers are trying to change this categorization to something more than property, especially in regards to all the animal rights listed in the constitution. Animal lawyers handle cases such as the following:
Animal Custody Disputes
During divorce and separation, property division can lead to disputes and since animals are considered as property, they often get caught up in the tussle. However, unlike inanimate objects such as furniture or cars, animals need a home where they can feel secure with their owners. Therefore, during separation, an animal lawyer can intervene in the animal custody issue so the pet can end up with the owner than can provide a suitable home and care.
Veterinary malpractice
Unfortunately, many pets and animals have suffered due to veterinary malpractice but since they are unable to speak up, many of these cases go unnoticed. Veterinary malpractice is a serious legal issue that deserves the full involvement of the law. If the animal and the family suffer long term and short term damages as a result of malpractice, they have the right to sue the individual responsible for compensation.
Discrimination
The "No Pet" Policy is quite common in some restaurants, rental apartment buildings and transportation vehicles among other areas. Sometimes this policy can be discriminatory, especially if they are baseless. Animal lawyers can intervene in such situations in order to tackle discrimination against animals. An example of such as case is when an individual with a guard dog is barred from entering establishments where no animals are allowed.
Domestic violence and Anti-cruelty cases
Animal lawyers can also work on damage cases where animals are wrongfully injured or killed. This could be due to domestic violence, poor living conditions and enforceable trusts among other scenarios. Animals have rights that entitle them to a safe and suitable living environment with access to food, proper shelter and adequate space for their activities. Animal lawyers have been involved in campaigns to end animal cruelty, such as people locking up pets indoors without taking them for walks or even feeding them properly, puppy mills, roadside zoos and large mammal captivity.
For more information on what animal lawyers can do, contact a practice such as Melke Legal.
Share27 April 2015
I love reading novels that involve complex legal cases. I particularly enjoy those that are told from the defendant's viewpoint, but any well-written legal fiction will capture my imagination. My interest comes from being a court stenographer when I was much younger and seeing the dramas in real-life! Nothing irritates me more than a novel which includes legal fallacies. Fiction or not, I am a stickler for accuracy. I like to do research and check if a court case in one of my novels could play out in real life. It has become quite a hobby and I spend a lot of time in the law section of my university's library. I'm sure there are other people who are interested in the law for various reasons and I would like to share some of the knowledge I've gained. I hope you find my blog fascinating and worthwhile.