Major Animal Rights Bill in Nation?s Capital

July 18, 2007 — 

The Animal Agriculture Alliance has learned that a major animal rights bill has been proposed in the District of Columbia. The 48-page bill (LB 89), also known as the Animal Protection Amendment Act of 2007, would:

• Change the phrase ''animal owner'' to ''animal guardian/owner'';
• Authorize non-economic damages for the owner of a pet;
• Authorize non-profit humane societies to file lawsuits against violators of the district's animal cruelty laws; and
• Require the DC Board of Education to provide instruction on the ''humane treatment and protection of animals.''

Part of the bill would authorize non-economic damages to be awarded to the owner of a pet when the pet is killed either intentionally or by gross negligence in a veterinarian's office. The amounts the court is allowed to award for non-economic damages are no more than $7,500 for intentional acts and $2,000 for acts of gross negligence. These non-economic damages will include recovery for the loss of society, companionship, comfort, protection, love, affection, and others.

According to Kay Johnson, Executive Vice President of the Animal Agriculture Alliance, while adding the term ''guardian'' to current law may seem benign in nature, it is a first step by animal rights activists to extend the rights afforded children and incompetent adults to animals. If owners can be legally classified as guardians, the government, or any individual, can sue over treatment of an animal.

Source:
Animal Agriculture Alliance