Nearly all U.S. households with companion animals (97%) consider these lovable creatures as part of their family. And yet, our legal system doesn’t reflect such a kindred sentiment. In many cases, companion animals are legally considered as property and treated like anything else you may own – rather than as living beings.
To explore the legal status of companion animals, Michigan State University’s College of Law is hosting the Realities and the Consequences of the Human-Companion Animal Bond event, a day-long conference on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. At this free event, the college’s Animal Legal and Historical Center aims to bring together bright minds to consider how society can make progress for our beloved non-human family members.
“It is important that we work toward having laws that reflect more of what companion animals are in today’s society, and that’s part of the family,” Angie Vega, MSU Animal Law Fellow and host of the event, said. “Animals are not things you can damage and replace [such as with property], so we are working to create awareness, educate the public and encourage legal thinking to come up with solutions to these issues.”
The event will feature Andrea Laurent-Simpson, assistant professor at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences in Dallas, Texas, as the keynote speaker. She will share insights from her book, Just Like Family: How the Companion Animal Joined the Household, about societal shifts that have shaped the role of companion animals into what it is today.
“We want to explore what the human and companion animal bond is, how it has evolved and what it looks like today,” David Favre, professor of law, the Nancy Heathcote Professor of Property and Animal Law and host of the event, said. “We must do this from a legal point of view because although we are in the midst of change, the reality is that the law does not reflect how so many of us consider our companion animals.”
As Favre noted, progress to establish meaningful legal status for non-human family members is happening on a piecemeal basis, one topic or issue at a time. A few recent wins include companion animals being accepted as beneficiaries in trust law, protection for those left in parked vehicles and custody arrangements to accommodate them amid divorces and separations. And MSU Law’s Animal Legal and Historical Center is a valuable thought leader on such topics, providing data and commentary to media, including The Washington Post earlier this month.
The one-day conference – now in its second year – is exploring a topic that stands to impact millions of households across the nation. As Vega noted, the goal is to continue exploring specific, impactful topics each year within the realm of animal law.
“The event started in 2023 as an idea to increase awareness about a specific issue,” she said, referencing the inaugural topic of defining nature from a legal and ethical perspective. “We want to continue highlighting issues within the law, inviting collaborations among experts, students and community members and advancing interest in these areas.”
This year’s conference is intended for MSU students and faculty, as well as community and nonprofit organizations, to share information and foster meaningful connections to advance law for companion animals.
The Realities and the Consequences of the Human-Companion Animal Bond conference will take place Thursday, Oct.3 from 9am-5pm. The event is free, and participants are encouraged to attend in-person at the Michigan State University College of Law or online. Registration is required and can be found at bit.ly/4d2YjdJ.