Animal Law

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

• The 1.5 page introduction to Chapter 2, which sets the stage for the discussions expected regarding that chapter.
• 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.