Animal Law Case Summaries From the PETA Foundation
The PETA Foundation’s legal team consists of experienced lawyers who litigate and engage in other legal advocacy for animals. We bring lawsuits against those who abuse or exploit animals, and we work to protect the ability of animal advocates to access government records documenting animal abuse and to exercise their constitutional rights.
Explore the legal case summaries on this page to learn about some of our important cases. Whether you’re a legal professional, a student, or a supporter, these case summaries offer valuable insights into our precedent-setting work and the animal law landscape.
PETA Foundation lawyers alleged that five wild-caught orcas were being held as slaves at SeaWorld in violation of the 13th Amendment.
PETA Foundation lawyers filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit on behalf of a crested black macaque named Naruto—who took the now-famous “monkey selfies.”
OHSU went to extreme lengths in refusing to comply with public records requests for videos and photos of its torture of drunken prairie voles.
PETA Foundation lawyers filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against USDA on behalf of 30 barn owls at Johns Hopkins University.
PETA’s lawsuit alleged that Monterey Zoo’s use of canes to threaten and control elephants violated state law.
PETA Foundation lawyers exposed Tri-State Zoological Park’s “flagrant and persistent violations of the Endangered Species Act.”
PETA is urging FSIS to stop approving animal-raising claims on food product labels that it does not and cannot verify as true.
PETA rescued surviving lions and tigers tortured by Wildlife in Need and Tim Stark in the service of “Tiger Baby Playtime” events.
PETA Foundation lawyers won more than half a million dollars in penalties and fees in a state lawsuit against UW, and three different Ninth Circuit decisions, in cases challenging UW’s culture of secrecy around their animal experiments.
PETA challenged UMass’ refusal to provide public records of protocols, photos, and videos that expose the gruesome experiments in Agnès Lacreuse’s lab.
LA Metro paid the price for rejecting PETA’s bus ads under its unconstitutional ad policy—which amounted to a prior restraint on speech and viewpoint discrimination.
PETA Foundation lawyers filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of a consumer who accuses Organic Valley of making false claims about how it treats cows and calves.
PETA filed suit against NIMH and its parent agencies due to their failure to respond to our Freedom of Information Act requests.
Stony Brook University withheld public records related to animal research in violation of the New York Freedom of Information Law.
“Ag-gag” laws prioritize the animal agriculture industry’s profits over the health and safety of the humans and animals harmed by its failings, and often violate the constitution.
PETA challenged NIH in a lawsuit due to the agency’s continued funding of experiments on animals that attempt to find treatments for sepsis in humans.
The USDA cited Waccatee Zoo for over 100 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. PETA alleged that it had “harmed” and “harassed” animals under the Endangered Species Act.
Nellie’s Free Range Eggs’ labels contrast drastically with reality. PETA Foundation lawyers filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of consumers who alleged they were misled.
PETA sued NIH for blocking comments containing keywords critical of animal experimentation from the agency’s social media pages.
PETA’s lawsuit against the now-defunct Missouri Primate Foundation, alleging violations of the federal Endangered Species Act, resulted in the rescue of nine chimpanzees.
PETA alleged that Shore Transit’s rejection of ads stating that “no one needs to kill to eat” as “too offensive” and “political” violated the First and 14th amendments due to viewpoint discrimination.
Wyoming Airport Ad Rejections →
In June 2022, PETA submitted an anti-leather advertisement proposal to two Wyoming airports. Both airports rejected the ad.
