Penny Conly Ellison

June 15, 2015 | The Legal Intelligencer

With the Belmont Stakes offering the promise of the first Triple Crown winner in over 30 years, all eyes were focused on the so-called "Sport of Kings." Horse racing is considered one of the oldest sports in the world, with the first known written account coming from the Iliad. Since horse racing is one of the most popular venues for legalized gambling and therefore a source of tax revenue for state governments, its existence as a "sport" is rarely questioned. On occasion, like in an earlier race at this year's Belmont, where a horse loses its life during or immediately after a race, some ask questions about their treatment and the price they pay but, particularly with the glamour and excitement of a Triple Crown winner at hand, those questions fade quickly.

By Penny Conly Ellison

7 minute read

June 13, 2015 | The Legal Intelligencer

With the Belmont Stakes offering the promise of the first Triple Crown winner in over 30 years, all eyes were focused on the so-called "Sport of Kings." Horse racing is considered one of the oldest sports in the world, with the first known written account coming from the Iliad. Since horse racing is one of the most popular venues for legalized gambling and therefore a source of tax revenue for state governments, its existence as a "sport" is rarely questioned. On occasion, like in an earlier race at this year's Belmont, where a horse loses its life during or immediately after a race, some ask questions about their treatment and the price they pay but, particularly with the glamour and excitement of a Triple Crown winner at hand, those questions fade quickly.

By Penny Conly Ellison

7 minute read

March 16, 2015 | The Legal Intelligencer

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey recently rocked the animal-law world by announcing its decision to retire its circus elephants. The decision follows decades of public protests and high-profile litigation. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals v. Feld Entertainment, 873 F.Supp.2d 288 (2012), the largest and most significant case of its kind, has gone back and forth between the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, including review by an en banc panel.

By Penny Conly Ellison

8 minute read

March 16, 2015 | The Legal Intelligencer

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey recently rocked the animal-law world by announcing its decision to retire its circus elephants. The decision follows decades of public protests and high-profile litigation. , 873 F.Supp.2d 288 (2012), the largest and most significant case of its kind, has gone back and forth between the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, including review by an en banc panel.

By Penny Conly Ellison

8 minute read

December 30, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has taken an enormous amount of heat recently for vetoing a law that would have banned the use of gestation crates in New Jersey. Christie took the position that there were so few breeding sows in New Jersey that the legislature's passing of the bill was just political pandering, referring to it as a solution in search of a problem.

By Penny Conly Ellison

7 minute read

September 30, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

Cruelty to animals is a crime in Pennsylvania, just as it is in every other state. If you want to report a violation, you can contact your local police but they would likely refer you to a local humane society or SPCA. Under Pennsylvania law, 18 Pa. C.S. Section 5511(i), nonprofit humane societies and associations for the prevention of cruelty to animals are authorized to investigate complaints and initiate criminal proceedings for violations of the state animal cruelty law. Sworn humane society police officers (HSPOs), usually employed by these nonprofits, have authority to obtain search warrants and injunctions and also seize animals or obtain their forfeiture or surrender.

By Penny Conly Ellison

6 minute read

June 30, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

A recent Time Magazine article titled "The Problem With Pit Bulls" elicited a torrent of protests from supporters of pit bull terrier-type dogs, most of which are actually mixes of several breeds. It didn't help that the article was in response to a now-discredited report that a child who had been bitten in the face by three pit bulls had been asked to leave a KFC restaurant because her appearance was upsetting to customers. Due to a variety of factors, pit bull-type dogs fill the shelters in Philadelphia and most of the rest of the Northeast and die in shelters at rates much higher than other breeds. The reputation of pits as tenacious dogs who attack without warning means there are fewer families willing to adopt them and fewer landlords willing to permit tenants to own them. But is breed (or, more accurately, a shelter's best guess as to a predominant breed) a reliable way to predict whether a dog is likely to be a danger to humans or other pets? Pennsylvania has answered that question with a resounding "no."

By Penny Conly Ellison

7 minute read

March 24, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund's U.S. Animal Protection Laws Rankings, Pennsylvania ranks in the bottom tier of U.S. states and territories, coming in at an abysmal 41st. Significantly, these rankings were determined after Act 50 of 2013, the so-called Costs of Care Act, passed last summer.

By Penny Conly Ellison

6 minute read

March 24, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund's U.S. Animal Protection Laws Rankings, Pennsylvania ranks in the bottom tier of U.S. states and territories, coming in at an abysmal 41st. Significantly, these rankings were determined after Act 50 of 2013, the so-called Costs of Care Act, passed last summer. That law requires defendants in animal cruelty cases to pay the ongoing costs that humane societies incur in caring for their seized animals during the pendency of the criminal proceeding or forfeit them to the shelter. Even after that momentous leap forward, Pennsylvania remains out of step with the majority of states in protecting animals. The states at the top of the list provide stiffer penalties, especially for repeat offenders; make animal neglect resulting in death of the animal a felony; and give humane police officers broad enforcement powers. The states toward the bottom, including Pennsylvania, treat most animal cruelty as a minor or summary offense and provide vague or low standards of care for animals.

By Penny Conly Ellison

6 minute read

August 27, 2013 | The Legal Intelligencer

All of us have seen one. A dog tied to a doghouse or in a pen outside or "guarding" a garage or car lot, 24 hours, seven days a week in all kinds of weather. Many of us wonder, especially in extreme heat or cold: "Is it legal to do that or should I report it to authorities?" In Pennsylvania, the answer can be a little vague.

By Penny Conly Ellison

7 minute read