Dear John,
My name is Leslie Rule. I’m a member of the Ojai City Council in Ojai, California–a small city known for lovely scenery, for great hiking, and, as of September 2023, for being the first city in the United States to have passed legislation recognizing the legal right of a nonhuman animal.
As someone who has followed and supported the Nonhuman Rights Project’s work for years, I’m proud to have worked with the NhRP on this momentous legislation–a local ordinance that defines and recognizes an elephant’s right to liberty.
No elephants are held captive in Ojai today (and thanks to this ordinance, no elephant ever will be). But the first elephant in the US to have regained her freedom in an elephant sanctuary–Tarra–once lived here. This legislation honors Tarra. It also says loudly and clearly: not just as individuals but as a municipality, we’ve evolved our understanding of elephants. We’ve evolved our understanding of our ethical responsibilities to the nonhuman world. We’re ready to evolve the law.
It’s one ordinance, one city, one species, one right–and it’s also so much more than that. We know the courts are paying attention to what we’ve accomplished in Ojai because they’ve referred to it in their decisions, which is great. But just because legislatures are acting doesn’t mean judges don’t still have their own duty to evolve the law when cases like the NhRP’s–which are deeply rooted in scientific understanding of elephants and centuries of legal precedent–are before them.
Thanks to the NhRP, positive change is already underway, and I’m confident it will keep growing. That’s why I’m excited to participate in the NhRP’s fundraising campaign for World Elephant Week this year. Through August 19th, I will personally match every donation made to the NhRP, doubling contributions up to $5,000. Additionally, a dedicated group of us, united in our commitment to the NhRP’s vision of a just world for all, will collectively match donations up to $18,500 this week. This means your financial support during World Elephant Week will have twice the impact.
