Next Steps for Animal Rights

Abstract

Over the past decade, the fifty state legislatures of the United States have been adopting legislation for the benefit of the group of animals known as companion animals. When considered together as a set, these laws create an initial set of legal rights for that group of animals. To explore that conclusion, the definition of a legal right and the particular statutes, such as new divorce laws, must be considered.

Keywords

• animal rights
• animal interest
• companion animals
• victims
• trust
• divorce