Changes in animal law have come, and not just to Pennsylvania. Other incidents of abuse and a shifting national consciousness have made this one of the fastest-growing fields in the legal profession. In 1993, just seven states had felony animal cruelty laws; today, all but four do.
“Animal law is where environmental law was 20 years ago. It’s in its infancy but growing,” said Pamela Frasch, who heads the National Center for Animal Law at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, where she has been an adjunct professor for 10 years.
Lewis & Clark opened the first Animal Legal Defense Fund chapter in 1992. Today it has branches at more than 115 law schools in the United States and Canada.
In 2000, nine law schools had animal law studies. Today about 100 do.
“The reason it is getting taught is student demand,” said professor David Favre, who teaches animal law at Michigan State University College of Law and is a top authority in the field. “It’s not because tenured professors wanted to teach it, it’s that students want to take it.”
Grumpy From Birth But Vegan Since 1976
Welcome to Grumpy Vegan
- Kim Stallwood is an independent scholar and author on animal rights. His forthcoming book, Animal Dharma, explores what it means to care deeply about animals. Starting in 1976, he has held leadership positions with some of the world’s foremost organisations in the UK and US, including CIWF, BUAV, PETA, The Animals’ Agenda, Animals and Society Institute and Minding Animals International. A vegetarian since 1974 when as a student he worked in a chicken slaughterhouse. A vegan since 1976. His evil twin is the Grumpy Vegan.
