Animal Law

Two items were inadvertently left out of the Sixth Edition when it went to press. They are:

1. The 1.5 page introduction to Chapter 2, which sets the stage for the discussions expected regarding that chapter.
2. The detailed Table of Contents.

You can access both documents in the supplement by clicking here.

Animal law is a rapidly growing field, appearing in law schools, courtrooms, and the media on a constant basis. The study of the law regarding animals combines a review of the statutory and decisional law in which the nature—legal, social and/or biological—of non-human animals is an important factor. Owing to the rapid growth in this field, the sixth edition has updates in almost every chapter, with new focus on cases involving animals in agriculture and the complex legal challenges to laws aimed at providing them with greater protections. In connection with that expansion, a new section addresses the growing advent of "ag-gag" laws and legal issues surrounding them. And the interplay of constitutional law and animal issues is further highlighted with discussion of recent cases and statutory developments.

This casebook continues to provide a detailed survey format that touches on many areas in which animals affect legal doctrines, case law, and legislative direction. Because animal law is not a traditional legal field, the book is largely framed according to traditional legal headings such as tort, contract, criminal, and constitutional law. Each chapter sets out cases and commentary in areas where animal law continues to develop its own doctrine.

As the field of animal law has grown by leaps and bounds, each edition of Animal Law has incorporated path breaking legal developments in all areas of animal law. Animal Lawengages students and teachers alike through its thoughtful consideration of how the legal system operates with respect to many different kinds of animals, including companion animals and animals used in food production. The extensive teaching experience of the authors is evident in their selection of various types of legal materials, summaries of intellectual perspectives, and proposed discussion questions, which provide ample bases for interesting animal law classes in which different informed points of view can be considered."

— Taimie Bryant, Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law