Ape Appeals
As expected, Matthew Pan (or his handlers, depending on how you view this story), has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. You may recall that Pan is a chimpanzee currently residing in Austria. An animal-rights group took his…
Animal Law
Bear Convicted
It’s about time a bear was held accountable.
Bill Would Make KFC the “Official Picnic Food of Kentucky”
On January 18, Kentucky State Rep. Charles Siler introduced a bill that would designate Kentucky Fried Chicken (specifically, Original Recipe) as the state’s "official picnic food." The provision itself is just one sentence, but the preamble offers some interesting details:…
UPDATE: Monkey Denied Person Status
As I reported last October, an Austrian court refused to grant Matthew H. Pan legal standing on the grounds that he is a chimpanzee, and it appears that the Supreme Court of Austria has now affirmed that decision. An animal-rights…
Jury Finds Pool Store Not Liable For Goose Attack
Earlier this month, a jury in Maryland found against a woman who sued a shopping mall and pool store in Rockville after being attacked by a goose while on the mall’s property in 2004. Suzanne Webster said the goose’s ferocious…
Ostrich Murderer Sentenced to Five Months in Jail
Timothy McKevitt, one of the two killers who murdered Gaylord the ostrich last October, has been sentenced to five months in jail. His accomplice, Jonathon Porter, was released earlier this year after also serving five months for the crime. As…
Michael Vick Attends PETA Seminar on Empathy for Animals
PETA announced today that on September 18, Michael Vick successfully completed its seminar on "Developing Empathy for Animals," an eight-hour course that concludes with a written exam that PETA described as "rigorous." Vick was immediately pardoned and given PETA’s "Animal…
Chimp Will Appeal Denial of Personhood to Austrian Supreme Court
Matthew Pan’s legal team says they will appeal an intermediate court’s decision to dismiss Pan’s case, which would place the matter before the Supreme Court of Austria. The provincial court affirmed a lower court’s decision on the grounds that Pan…
Mysterious Cat-Napping Terrorizes New Zealand Community
A desperate search continues in New Zealand for Max the Cat, who was abducted recently by a person or persons unknown. Lisa Morice, Max’s companion, posted flyers after Max failed to turn up last week at his home on William…
Legal Battle Rages Over Future of Hemingway’s Mutant Cats
Reuters News reported this week that the federal government and the local authorities in charge of the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum in Key West, Florida, are battling over the future status of dozens of cats that roam the grounds…