Pet Law and Animal Welfare: What I Shared at the 34th Animal Law Conference
This month I traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 34th Animal Law Conference. I had the opportunity to present to 350 attendees: 120 animal law students, and the rest attorneys. They are some of the sharpest legal minds in the U.S. and beyond, and all of them have made the welfare of animals their priority.
I spoke on two panels. My focus was pet law, and why I believe it is a stronger vehicle than many realize for advancing the status and safety of all animals under the animal welfare umbrella. Here is what I shared, and why I came home more committed than ever.
Finding Common Ground in Animal Law
It is time for the various legal organizations in animal law to integrate. Working together, we can reach a wider audience and gain more supporters.
Those of us in the animal law world, whether scholars, advocates or litigators, share fundamental agreements about animals. We may diverge on keeping animals as pets, or on using them for work or food. But we should accept that we align on the most important idea: all animals need greater protections.
That shared conviction is a foundation. When we build on it together, every corner of the field gets stronger.
Private Practice and Nonprofit Advocacy, Working Together
I also talked about the unique role a private law practice can play when teamed up with the brainpower of the nonprofit advocacy world.
Nonprofits bring research, policy expertise and a long view. A private practice brings day-to-day experience in the courtroom and at the negotiating table with real pet owners. Together, we can turn ideas into outcomes that hold up in court and in statute.
Why Pet Lawyering Is a Career Worth Considering
With so many students in the room, I wanted to get people enthused about pet lawyering as a career.
To make the case, I walked through four real case examples where the work we do at Boston Dog Lawyers has yielded significant gains in caselaw and statutory law. I compared outcomes from the earlier years of my practice to what we see now. The difference is real, and it is the kind of progress a career in this field can deliver.
How Pet Custody Law Has Changed
One shift stands out. More cohabitating, unmarried pet owners now recognize the rights their former partner has to possession and visitation of a shared pet.
Instead of battling in court, they are contacting us to help draft fair and enforceable agreements. That is a meaningful change in how people approach these situations.
For many years, judges were concerned that courts would become overcrowded with pet custody disputes. Our victory in Lyman v. Lanser has truly redefined the way adults who no longer have a relationship with each other can still preserve their individual relationship with the family pet.
Looking Ahead
When I started practicing, this kind of progress felt a long way off. Now it feels within reach.
I left the conference with even more passion for this work, and more conviction that the animal law community gets further when we work together.
