Animals currently have no rights recognized in law, but groups like the Animal Law Committee of the New Jersey Bar Association and New Jersey Lawyers in Defense of Animals, are working to strengthen laws that protect animals. Many individuals have successfully brought suit to protect the welfare of animals.
Gina Calogero is one of the more prominent animal rights attorneys of New Jersey, a reputation that she has garnered over a long period of time as one of the brightest pet lawyers in New Jersey. Animal rights laws, or animal liberation, are one of the oldest forms of Animal Law and an issue that continues to hold public interest. Animal rights are an extremely underserved section of the legal world and Gina Calogero helps to fill that void in her role as an animal attorney based out of Oradell, New Jersey.
Anti-Cruelty
The animal rights laws that most legal cases are concerned with are anti-cruelty laws. Situations range from pet owner treatment of their pets to corporate treatment of animals used for food or testing. Many of the abuses of animals arise from a common perception that they are simply not at the same evolutionary level as a human. Pet owners and anyone who has had any interaction with an animal can easily tell you that they feel pain and are just as likely to be psychologically and physically damaged as humans. We've all run into a pet who dislikes a particular gender; this is generally a sign that they were abused by a human of that gender.
Pets and animals are also frequently used in animal testing. You can prevent animal testing by not purchasing products, particularly in the beauty category, that have been tested on animals. Pet lawyers in New Jersey have fought for the rights of animals and won, meaning that your cause or case is far from hopeless.
Associations
There are countless animal rights organizations, the most famous of which is PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA mounts successful anti-cruelty ad campaigns and maintains a list of cruelty-free products on their website.
ISAR, or the International Society for Animal Rights, focuses specifically on laws and education to further the cause of animal rights. They file amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs in prominent animal rights cases, and are currently helping to draft animal rights legislation. They also act as a counsel for lawyers that are involved in animal rights.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund raises awareness of animal rights, champions important animal rights law cases, along with many other activities. These include public education seminars, more in-depth education for legal students with their Animal Law program and Student Animal Legal Defense Fund chapters in various schools.