AR-News: (US-mn) In most places, pet laws hairy at best

[Animalconcerns]

(MN) - Starting when he was a puppy chewing on the straps of her shoulder
bag, William the Conqueror, a black standard poodle, accompanied Judith
Younger almost everywhere.

He grew into a refined canine, resting politely on the floor while she
taught law school classes at the University of Minnesota, strolling with
her around Lake Calhoun and escorting her to dinner at a neighbor's house.

So when Younger needed heart surgery a few years ago, she worried about
her animal companion and, as a wills and trusts professor, tried to
provide for him in her will. She was shocked to learn that under Minnesota
law she couldn't make her directives for William's care enforceable and
would just have to trust that the people she had appointed would care for him.
...
Animal law encompasses everything from pet custody in divorce to testing
on animals to wildlife conservation regulations.

"Animals can't speak for themselves, so people need to speak for them,"
said Barbara Gislason, a Minneapolis attorney who chairs the new Bar
Association committee and co-teaches the Hamline class.
...
Lots of people are wrapped up in their pets. Pet ownership increased
nearly 19 percent in the past decade, according to the American Pet
Products Manufacturers Association. Spending on pets is estimated at $31
billion in 2003, up from $17 billion in 1994.

So it should be no surprise that animal law is an emerging field
nationally, with more than 30 schools, including Harvard and Yale,
offering law courses, and more than 20 state and regional bar associations
forming committees on the topic.

full story:
http://newsobserver.com/24hour/nation/story/1124525p-7821803c.html

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