Friday, April 9, 2010

SALDF Hosts Hector the Pit Bull

This week, Hector the Pit Bull was the star attraction at Brooklyn Law School for a humane education lecture about pit bull myths. Hector is one of the dogs rescued from Michael Vick’s dog fighting operation and has the external scars of his former life. Now Hector who just turned 6 years old is a certified therapy dog and humane educator and has been recognized for his efforts in his new home in New York. Hector received a Community Service in Humane Education Award from the Brooklyn Law School Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF).

SALDF, through its President Deborah Diamant, Class of 2010, hosted the event entitled Breed-Specific Legislation: The Pit Bull Placebo featuring speakers Donald Cleary, Director of Communications and Publications for the National Canine Research Council, and Stacey Coleman, Foundation Manager of the Animal Farm Foundation. The presentation included a slide show about the myths surrounding pit bulls. Some jurisdictions, in a frenzy of panic policy making, have outlawed them. Cleary argued the need for changing attitudes toward animal abuse, including toward criminals who fight dogs, and for recognizing the difference between a resident dog and a family dog to foster more enlightened public policy, as well as deepen the human-canine bond. SALDF is one of several studend chapters of the Animal Legal Defense Fund which is dedicated to providing a forum for education, advocacy, and scholarship aimed at protecting the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the legal system, and raising the profile of the field of animal law.

The BLS Library has in its collection several items on the subject of animal rights including Animal Law: Welfare, Interests, and Rights by David S. Favre (Call #KF390.5.A5 F382 2008) with chapters on Animal ownership -- Veterinarian malpractice -- Damages for harm to pets -- State regulation of ownership -- Anti-cruelty laws: history and intentional acts -- Anti-cruelty laws: duty to provide care -- Agricultural animals -- Access to courts: standing and legal injury -- The Animal Welfare Act -- Animal rights: the jurisprudence -- Animal rights: the social movement.

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