Animal Law Developments, published by Duane Morris LLP, covers legal issues related to animal law including endangered species protection, animal personhood cases, regulatory changes under the Endangered Species Act, and legal disputes involving animals in contexts such as divorce and environmental impact. The blog discusses court decisions, legislative proposals, and regulatory interpretations affecting animal welfare, conservation, and property law as it pertains to animals. It also addresses emerging legal frameworks for animal custody and rights, reflecting ongoing developments in animal-related jurisprudence and policy.
Regulatory Definition
By John M. Simpson. On July 14, 2026, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (collectively, the “Services”) published a final rule rescinding the longstanding regulatory definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species…
By: Flora Lee
On May 22, 2026, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) permanently rescinded its longstanding guidance on emotional support animals. In its place, the agency announced a…
In recent years, animal rights activists have entered farmland without permission to expose what they believe are inhumane conditions for farm animals. The activists videotape what they see and sometimes “rescue” animals by removing them from…
By John M. Simpson. In Iowa, it is a crime to trespass on private property. Given recent actions by animal rights activists invading private farm land to film what is claimed to be animal mistreatment, Iowa amended the criminal trespass…
By John M. Simpson. Can a state state ban a product that the federal government has affirmatively approved for sale? In Upside Foods, Inc. v. Commissioner, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, No. 24-13640 (11th Cir. Mar. 23, 2026),…
By John M. Simpson. As we previously reported, animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), sued the National Institutes of Health and Mental Health in federal court seeking to compel the defendants to install a live…
By Michelle C. Pardo A controversial legislative effort to grant coral reefs and watersheds “legal personhood” in Hawaii has been voted down by the state legislature. The Na Aina no I’a Act (NANI Act) sought to grant the respective ecosystems…
Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) runs a facility in Norfolk, Virginia that it calls an animal shelter. As with any other shelter operator in Virginia, PETA must submit an annual report to the Virginia…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decided an interesting Endangered Species Act (ESA) case this week. San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper v. County of San Luis Obispo, No. 24-7807 (9th Cir. Dec. 3, 2025). Certain environmental NGO’s claimed…
On October 17, 2025 the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court’s summary denial of a writ of habeas corpus brought by the Nonhuman Rights Project seeking to have seven chimpanzees released from the DeYoung Family Zoo and transferred…
