Three African elephants. Photo: Shutterstock

The founder and president of an animal rights group who is also one of its attorneys in seeking to remove three elephants from a Connecticut petting zoo says he will not be deterred by a Connecticut Appellate Court ruling that didn’t go his way Friday.

“We look forward to seeking further review of this decision in the Connecticut Supreme Court, and we feel both hopeful and confident that it will accept our request as a matter of law and justice,” said Steven Wise, president of the Nonhuman Rights Project, in a statement issued on its website. Wise is now seeking to have the state Supreme Court review the Appellate Court ruling rejecting a habeas corpus petition, which would have paved the way for freeing the animals.

Wise, along with Cohen & Wolf’s David Zabel, are representing elephants Beulah, Karen and Millie, who they hope to relocate from the Goshen-based Commerford Zoo to a sanctuary in California.

Here is a closer look at Wise and Zabel:

Steven Wise:

Wise is founder and president of the NhRP, representing nonhuman animals in the courtroom and serving as lead spokesman for the organization’s work, according to his website.

He has practiced animal protection law for 30 years throughout the United States and is the author of four books, including “Rattling the Cage—Toward Legal Rights for Animals” as well as “Drawing the Line—Science and the Case for Animal Rights.”

A frequent lecturer on animal rights-related topics, Wise received his undergraduate degree from the College of William & Mary, and his law degree from Boston University Law School.

David Zabel:

Zabel is a principal in Cohen & Wolf’s litigation, employment and labor group, as well as its municipal bankruptcy and legal ethics groups.

He has extensive experience in complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts and arbitration proceedings, including representing policyholders in coverage disputes with insurers, real estate litigation, business torts, and complex bankruptcy proceedings, according to his firm’s website.

Zabel also represents business owners and management, and counsels employers in a variety of employment matters, including discrimination, wrongful discharge claims, employment agreements, and personnel policies and procedures. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1982.

The attorneys are considering next steps after a court decision that went against their client, the Nonhuman Rights Project based in Coral Springs, Florida.

In the 3-0 ruling, the Connecticut Appellate Court denied the group’s petition that argued the animals are “persons” entitled to liberty and equality for the purposes of habeas corpus. The 11-page ruling that Judge Christine Keller authored for the panel sided with a lower court, which had declined to issue a writ of habeas corpus on because it found the NhRP had no legal standing in the litigation.

“There are profound implications for a court to conclude that an elephant, or any nonhuman animal for that matter, is entitled to assert a claim in a court of law,” Keller wrote. “In the present case, we have little difficulty concluding that the elephants—who are incapable of bearing legal duties, submitting to societal responsibilities, or being legally accountable for failing to uphold those duties and responsibilities—do not have standing to file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus because they have no legally protected interest that possibly can be adversely affected.”

The Commerford Zoo has yet to retain attorney representation and has not filed briefs in the case. Its owner, Robert Commerford, did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

Meanwhile, Wise is arguing the elephants, which he said are autonomous animals, are being illegally imprisoned.

In his statement, Wise said: “It is their rightlessness that keeps them imprisoned and exploited in the Commerford Zoo.”

Read more:

Animal Rights Group Dealt Another Blow in Fight to Free Elephants