Summary
In 2018, the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a complaint against defendant Gwendolyn Vercher on behalf of the plaintiff, a horse named Justice who suffered pain and distress as a result of alleged criminal neglect by the defendant. The plaintiff asked the court to recognize that Justice may bring a negligence per se claim based on the standard of care in the anti-cruelty statute, as he is a member of the class intended to be protected by Oregon’s anti-cruelty statute. The court ruled that giving animals the capacity to sue would have “profound implications” and that animals lack the capacity to accept legal responsibilities.
Involved Organizations
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2025. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor.https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/justice-v-gwendolyn-vercher/.
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