Hello John! I hope this email finds you well. This is Christopher, the NhRP’s Chief Programs Officer. I’m writing today to reflect on the present moment and provide updates on some of the incredible work happening at the Nonhuman Rights Project right now.
The NhRP remains steadfast in our mission to change the world for nonhuman animals as we continue to adjust to the loss of our founder, Steve. Steve was an extraordinary combination of visionary and executive: he saw something deeply wrong in the world and dedicated his life to doing something about it, including building the NhRP.
Under Steve’s leadership, we took the cause of nonhuman rights from one that nobody was even thinking about to one that sparked a global discussion about the need to change animals’ legal status from things with no rights to persons with fundamental rights. We’ve had historic animal rights hearings and persuaded two justices on New York’s highest court to speak out for Happy the elephant in powerful dissents that will support the movement for decades to come. We’ve developed and helped pass the first animal rights law in the US.
As our cause gains traction we’re also seeing an increase in opposition. Our opponents are so rattled by our swelling support that they’re now trying to enact unconstitutional anti-rights legislation–Utah’s HB 249–that would prevent any facet of state government from ever recognizing any legal rights for nonhuman animals and other nonhuman entities. Under that bill, a judge who determines that the best legal ruling in a case involves recognizing a legal right for a nonhuman animal would be prohibited from making such a ruling–a violation of judicial independence which is at the foundation of our legal system.
What are we doing to meet this moment?
