LAW558 Animals & the Law

Over the past 50 years, the law has begun to regulate the human treatment of animals with increasing seriousness. Notwithstanding these developments, there are many concerns about the way our society treats the non-human animals in our care. This course explores the history, philosophy, and ethical foundation of humanity’s treatment of animals and asks whether our current legal treatment of them accords with our stated goal of preventing “unnecessary” cruelty to animals. It also looks at common legal problems that arise under the existing paradigm, and considers what these problems reveal about our stated concern for non-human animals.