Since 2004, Animal Outlook’s Legal Advocacy team has worked to use the legal system as a powerful tool to fight the systemic injustices of factory farming. Farmed animals are given almost no protection under the law, at both the state and federal levels, which makes our task that much more challenging – and important.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects meat industry's challenge for California's Prop 12
On June 28, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States rejected the North American Meat Institute’s (NAMI) challenge to California’s Proposition 12.
Proposition 12 strengthens existing California law to ban the intensive confinement of egg-laying chickens, mother pigs and calves used in the veal industry. The law also prohibits the sale in California of eggs, pork and veal from facilities that confine animals in cruel cages.Read more.
District Court denies USDA's attempt to dismiss two lawsuits to reduce suffering of pigs at slaughter
On the same day the Supreme Court denied NAMI’s challenge to Proposition 12, a federal district court judge in New York rejected an attempt by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to dismiss two lawsuits which Animal Outlook and other groups filed against it seeking to reduce the suffering of pigs destined for slaughter, allowing the cases to move forward toward trial.
The first of these cases, which Animal Outlook brought in 2019 along with other groups challenges the USDA’s decision to deregulate pig slaughterhouses by allowing them to operate at unlimited slaughter line speeds and by reducing the number of federal inspectors overseeing the slaughter process.
The second lawsuit, which Animal Outlook brought in 2020, challenges the USDA’s decision to deny protections to “downed” pigs. These are pigs who suffer from an illness or injury that renders them unable to stand or walk, which subjects them to heightened cruelty in slaughterhouses. Read more.
Combined, these two cases could potentially impact 12 million pigs per year.
DC Superior Court denies Cooke Aquaculture's attempt to dismiss our false advertising lawsuit
The Superior Court of the District of Columbia denied an attempt by Cooke Aquaculture to dismiss Animal Outlook’s lawsuit against it for making misleading and deceptive advertising claims about its True North salmon.
Specifically, Cooke and its corporate affiliates falsely claim to produce salmon using methods which are “sustainable,” “natural,” and follow “optimal” animal welfare standards. The video Animal Outlook captured in our 2019 investigation at Cooke Aquaculture revealed the truth: Cooke workers slamming, stomping on and throwing fish; hungry, underfed fish mistaking the pupils of other fish for food and eating them; conditions so filthy that fish had to be vaccinated; and crowded living conditions consisting of concrete tanks that offered the animals no enrichment.
The Superior Court rejected all four motions by Cooke, including its attempts to have our case dismissed. The matter now proceeds toward trial and Animal Outlook will continue advocating for the often-overlooked animals who suffer in aquaculture.
While we celebrate these victories, the fight continues.
Thanks to generous supporters like YOU, Animal Outlook’s investigators and legal team work to expose the truth about factory farming and animal cruelty and work to bring justice for suffering animals.
Help make lasting change for animals by giving today.
As a non-profit organization, Animal Outlook relies on donations from caring, generous people like you. Every dollar matters. Your support makes a world of difference to farmed animals.
