Hi, everyone! I spent today at a mandatory, job related training seminar that was held at the New Jersey Law Center. While there, a few of us got a copy of the newsletter. There's a very interesting article about the legal status of pets. In many states, pets are considered property just like a piece of furniture. If a pet dies due to intentional or negligent actions and the owner goes to court, the most they can hope to recover is the original cost of the pet. Tennessee was the first state to adopt a law that allows an owner who lost a pet this way to recover the original cost of the pet, vet bills and loss of companionship. While New Jersey doesn't have such a law on the books (yet?), a judge has agreed to hear such a case being brought by an animal law attorney. I'll be tracking the case to see how it goes but no hearing date has been docketed. The article can be seen in the Legal Eagle, volume 9 number 2 winter 2005 page 3. The website is
www.njsbf.org
This may be a good way for all of us to speak up on behalf of our pets and all animals in all areas. We're the only voice they've got!