The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s primary programs include our:

Animal Law Program™ dedicated to fostering the field of animal law among legal professionals and in law schools nationwide;

Criminal Justice Program™ which works with law enforcement and prosecutors to seek maximum penalties for animal abusers;

Litigation Program which files cutting-edge lawsuits to stop the abuse of companion animals, and animals abused in industries including factory farming and the entertainment business.

More About Our Programs

ALDF’s Animal Law Program works closely with law students and law professionals to advance the emerging field of animal law. The Animal Law Program collaborates with students, faculty, and school administrations to facilitate the development of animal law courses at law schools and assists law students in forming student animal law groups, such as Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) chapters. 

The Animal Law Program also assists bar association members interested in forming animal law bar sections or committees and partners with pro bono coordinators interested in developing animal law volunteer opportunities at their firms. As more and more law students and attorneys advocate for the voiceless, ALDF is one step closer to fulfilling our mission.

Through our Criminal Justice Program, ALDF works with prosecutors and enforcement agencies to ensure that state criminal anti-cruelty statutes are vigorously enforced, and that those convicted of abuse, cruelty and neglect receive appropriate sentences. We work with state legislators to enact felony anti-cruelty statutes in states that do not yet have them, and to upgrade existing laws in states that do. The Criminal Justice Program also maintains a nationwide database of cruelty cases and current and model animal protection laws available to prosecutors, legislators and researchers.

In our litigation work, ALDF staff attorneys may bring suit themselves, or ALDF may retain outside counsel to represent it; we may also file either as a named plaintiff, or as the attorneys for other organizations or individuals. Our civil actions on behalf of animals often include filing amicus curiae briefs arguing the case for recognition of the bonds between humans and nonhuman animals and formal complaints against government agencies charged with enforcing laws meant to protect animals. The Animal Legal Defense Fund also awards monetary grants to assist attorneys with worthy animal-related cases, and makes available model laws and provides expert testimony to facilitate the enactment of state statutes that allow for non-economic damages (that is, damages for pain and suffering, loss of companionship, etc.) in cases involving wrongful death or injury of a companion animal.

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