2018 Articles

Chair’s column By Lisa Velez November 2018 A note from the Animal Law Section's chair, Lisa Velez.

The continuing saga of Naruto: The monkey ‘selfie’ case that refused to die By Timothy A. Gutknecht June 2018 The three-year lawsuit over a monkey “selfie” appears to be over, but a judge recently made a sua sponte request for a vote to rehear the case en banc.

The destructive effects of farm subsidies on animals and the environment: Part One – Our national farm subsidy system By Yelena Klairmont November 2018 Farm subsidies have diverged from their original mission to assist struggling farmers during the Great Depression and have become the underlying cause of a national environmental disaster.

A few final words By David H. Hopkins August 2018 Remarks from the Animal Law Section Council's past chair, David Hopkins.

Madison, St. Clair Counties adopt “no-kill” resolutions, set deadline for implementation plan By Ledy VanKavage February 2018 For a community to be considered no-kill, all of its shelters and animal welfare facilities responsible for animal control intake must be saving 90 percent or more, collectively, of the animals entering their system.

New farm bill: What are the topics of discussion? By Jeffrey A. Mollet June 2018 The House Committee on Agriculture recently approved the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, which will address the economic challenges facing farmers and ranchers and make investments in opportunities for SNAP recipients.

Pet custody is coming to Illinois: Who will get Fido in the divorce? By Marie K. Sarantakis February 2018 Six out of every 10 U.S. households own a pet. Almost five out of 10 of married couples file for divorce. Consequently, it should be no surprise that a significant percentage of our population faces legal difficulties as to who will keep the family’s furry child when spouses move in to separate residences.

So you want to be an urban farmer? By George D. Maurides November 2018 Both houses of the state legislature recently passed HB3418 amending the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to allow the Department of Agriculture to provide for the creation of municipal urban agricultural areas.

An update on the companion animal Good Samaritan law By Melissa A. Maye August 2018 This year, Illinois failed to become the thirteenth state to enact a Good Samaritan law, which would allow a person to break into a vehicle to rescue a companion animal that is noticeably in distress under certain circumstances.