Animal Law News

Animal Law News

Principles of "justice" in animal law. Seminar, 17 November 2017 (Melbourne, Australia)

How to apply the principles of justice to animal law

Date: 17 November 2017

Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm AEST

Location: Victoria Law School

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RSPCA Prosecutions 2016

The RSPCA (England) is a recognised leader amongst animal protection organisations. It promotes itself as the oldest welfare charity in the world.

The latest report on animal cruelty figures indicates that the RSPCA received a call for help every 27 seconds. You can read their latest report by going to ...more >>

Taiwan bans eating dog and cat meat

Taiwan has outlawed the consumption of dog and cat meat, as the island's legislature passed a landmark amendment to its animal protection laws, according to island's official Central News Agency (CNA).

"Previously, the Animal Protection Act only covered the slaughter and sale of dog and cat meat, but this amendment specifically prohibiting the actual consumption of dog meat today is welcome," said Jill Robinson, founder and CEO of Animals Asia Foundation.

Individuals who eat or trade dog or cat meat can now be...more >>

If you don't know what a Mammalian Gene Drive is, read this

The year is 2050. The place, New Zealand. Technological advances have dramatically changed the lives of the island’s human inhabitants, but on first blush, its animals remain untouched.

Except for one curious thing: all invasive rodents have vanished from the island. Rats, possums and other predators once wreaked havoc on the country’s rare endemic species. For centuries, mass influxes of invasive species trashed agricultural productivity, spoiled the country’s pristine beauty, and brought iconic species—such as the flightless kiwi...more >>

The Brexit implications for animal welfare

Political decisions are a major influence on matters involving animals and their welfare. Obviously, some political events have more significance than others. From a European perspective, the exit of the UK from the EU definitely qualifies as a "significant political event". The question is, what will be the impact of that exit on matters of animal welfare?

For a very concise and clear opinion, have a look at the link at ...more >>

The dangers of a monotonous diet: Crazed cannibal hamsters

A diet of corn is turning wild hamsters in north-eastern France into deranged cannibals that devour their offspring, researchers have reported.

Once nourished by a variety of grains, roots and insects, the burrowing rodents live today in a semi-sterile and unbroken ocean of industrially grown maize, or corn.

The monotonous diet is leaving the animals starving, scientists discovered almost by accident. The problem is a lack of vitamins. In fact, one in particular: B3, or niacin.

Researchers led by Mathilde Tissier at...more >>

Turning dragonflies into tiny cyborg drones

One company has decided the ideal tiny drone should take its cues from the natural world of insects — specifically the dragonfly.

When Draper, an independent biomedical solutions lab, set out to make its own mini-fliers, it cut out the middleman. It got some of the insects and outfitted them with cutting-edge navigation, synthetic biology and neurotechnology systems to create a swarm of cyborg dragonfly drones.

The tiny hybrids are part of an internal R&D project at Draper called, appropriately...more >>

USDA blacks out animal welfare information

It's been reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently removed public access to tens of thousands of reports that document the numbers of animals kept by research labs, companies, zoos, circuses, and animal transporters—and whether those animals are being treated humanely under the Animal Welfare Act.

The apparent reason: ...more >>

Clone your pet for $100,000

Saying farewell to a beloved pet can understandably be traumatic. So is there a "market" for cloning a pet? At least one company thinks so.

While ethical questions would likely be asked, the fact is that scientific advances involving genetic manipulation are already a reality. And under law, animals are property not people - so would you clone your pet for $100,000?

See more at

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Can you rely on the veterinarian as an expert witness?

Veterinarians are commonly referred to as society's "animal health and welfare experts". So it comes as no surprise that veterinarians are often asked to provide reports to courts describing factual observations and providing their "expert" opinion on the presence or absence of unnecessary suffering in animals.

But is there consistency among veterinarians regarding their assessment of what constitutes "unnecessary suffering"?

A recent report concludes that there is significant variation...more >>