Treatment of military service dogs to improve after new law introduced in Israel
By Randi Milgram and Lior Harish Animals are routinely used in support of national security across the world. Dogs scout for criminal activity at airports, they help local police departments track and search. And for centuries, dogs have served in the military. Whilst...
Exemption to Extinction? The Real Cost of the Historic ESA Exemption in the Gulf.
By Grace Law Woodhouse In a historic and highly controversial administrative action, the Trump administration summoned the Endangered Species Committee, colloquially known as the ‘God Squad’, to grant a blanket exemption for all federal oil and has operations in the...
A carriage too far: why New York should retire Central Park’s horses
By Acland Bryant and Mikhail Popov Central Park’s horse-drawn carriages are often presented as a picturesque remnant of an older New York. Events in June 2026 exposed a more troubling reality. On 9 June, Deniz, a 16-year-old carriage horse, collapsed and died...
Is It Time to Ban Greyhound Racing in England?
By Niamh McConnell In recent years, greyhound racing has come under increased scrutiny due to concerns surrounding thewelfare of the racing dogs. Although rules and regulations are currently in place to protect greyhounds,campaigners in the UK have called for the...
University of Birmingham Hosts UK’s Largest Animal Law Conference
The conference featured a special address from Animal Welfare Minister, Baroness Sue Hayman of Ullock. Earlier this month, the University of Birmingham hosted the UK Animal Law Conference, the largest event of its kind in the country. The conference was organised by...
How close are we to ending male chick culling in the UK?
By Jenny Canham, Public Affairs Lead at the Vegetarian Society In July 2025, I wrote ‘The Case for a UK Ban on Male Chick Culling’1, where I outlined how the practice remains legal under current UK animal protection law, the adoption of in-ovo sexing technology in...
Who Cares about Sharks in a War Zone?
By Jenny Bennett In a speech broadcast on Iranian public television (IRIB) on the 29th of March 2026, Iranian forces Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari warned, "… (enemy) commanders and soldiers will be food for the sharks of the Persian Gulf”1. I fear for the...
Regulating Animal Rescue Charities: The Case for Licensing
By Niamh McConnell Currently, anyone in England and Wales can establish an animal rescue and rehoming centre. Although voluntary standards exist, being voluntary, they cannot be enforced. Consequently, some providers ignore these standards...
The First Insects in the World to Gain Explicit Legal Rights
by Niamh McConnell Bees play a vital role in pollination, sustaining the world’s food supply. It has been said that if bees were to disappear off the surface of the globe, humanity would only have four years of life left.1 They are particularly crucial...
Keynote Speaker Announcements and Call for Papers deadline extension to 4th February for the UK Animal Law Conference 2026
We are delighted to announce Melanie Challenger and Kim Stallwood as keynote speakers for the 6th UK Animal Law Conference, in addition to Kathy Hessler, as previously announced. The conference theme is The Future of Animal Law and takes place on 3-4 June at the...