Dear John,

I hope this email finds you well! Here at the NhRP, we’ve spent the last few weeks finalizing our strategy for a new campaign, poring over court filings (truth be told, we do this almost every day and sometimes well into the night!), planning events for the fall to bring together NhRP supporters, and more.

In the midst of this work, we welcomed the news that an Argentine court has recognized a cougar named Lola Limon as a rightsholder. The court’s decision cites to prior Argentine cases that recognized the rights of nonhuman animals (such as the well-known case of Sandra the orangutan, which was modeled on the NhRP’s US litigation) and draws on the Argentine constitution, the Buenos Aires constitution, animal cruelty statutes, and the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights.

Read an English translation of the decision and learn more about what it means for Lola Limon on our blog, where you can always find the latest NhRP updates and analysis as well as stories from the fight for nonhuman rights.

In other NhRP news:

• A group of dedicated New York activists who were with us in Albany for Happy's historic hearing have taken up the local grassroots campaign to #FreeHappy and #FreePatty from the Bronx Zoo to a sanctuary. On Sept. 18th, they’re holding a protest outside the Bronx Zoo, with more to come. You can find details and RSVP here.

• Thanks to reviews from our supporters, GreatNonprofits has included the NhRP on their annual Top-Rated List for the third year in a row. Learn more about their rating system here, and read the reviews here. We welcome your feedback and encourage you to submit your own review if you haven’t already!

• This week we filed another brief in our first California nonhuman rights case, which seeks to #FreeTheFresnoElephants to a sanctuary, and in late August, Fresno-area conservative radio host Trevor Carey expressed his opposition to zoos and his support for our campaign in a live interview with the NhRP’s Courtney Fern. Next week, we’ll announce a new way you can help raise awareness of Nolwazi, Amahle, and Vusmusi’s impoverished existence in the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and the more just life that awaits them. Read a court case update from NhRP Staff Attorney Jake Davis here, and learn more about who our first California clients are here.

• On Sept. 24th, Happy’s New York counsel, NhRP Staff Attorney Elizabeth Stein, will speak about Happy’s case at the Animal Law Symposium on a panel titled “Legal Pathways to the Courts for Nonhuman Animals.” The symposium will be held in person in Washington, DC as well as livestreamed. You can register for the symposium and see the full list of panels and speakers here. 

Thank you for being part of the fight for nonhuman rights, John. Have a great weekend!

Lauren Choplin
Communications Director, the NhRP