01/07/2017
Here's what APRL accomplished in 2016, and our plans for 2017:
Fighting ritual animal killings--We have a case pending against an Orange County entity that charges participants a fee to kill and discard chickens as part of a ritual of atonement. You can hear APRL co-founder Bryan Pease's interview with Our Hen House about this outrage here:
http://www.ourhenhouse.org/2016/12/animal-law-podcast-19-bryan-pease-and-the-kapporot-case/
Fighting puppy mills--Our legal team, which includes attorneys Dave Simon, Todd Cardiff, Alanna Pearl and Bryan Pease, has continued bringing free speech cases against malls with puppy stores, so that activists can educate shoppers about puppy mills. Our latest victories this past year have been against Westfield in Escondido and National City, and Bel Villaggio in Temecula.
Supporting vegan outreach--In addition to providing funds to Vegan Outerach to distribute more leaflets, our legal team has been opening up more and more malls for activists to pass out these flyers in. APRL Thrift Store employees were recently able to pass out pro-vegan leaflets in Grossmont Shopping Center in La Mesa, seen below, as a result of one of our free speech cases.
We also just won an $80K settlement against LAPD for false arrest of leafletter Mu Jin Han, seen below, at the Farmers Market in LA, after three days of jury trial. The federal judge in the case also issued a precedential ruling that mall "bans" of leafletters cannot be enforced with arrest unless there is unlawful activity.
Currently we have cases pending against Hazard Center and Seaport Village (San Diego), Parkway Plaza (El Cajon) and Northridge Mall (San Jose) to allow this activity.
Exposing secretive USDA wildlife killing--We are representing the group Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) in a lawsuit against the U.S. Coast Guard for implementing an arbitrary 500 yard "exclusionary zone" around USDA wildlife killers in the Pacific Northwest to prevent documentation and ensuing public outcry.
Stopping force feeding--We are representing Evolution Fast Food (a San Diego vegan restaurant) in an unfair competition case against a New York foie gras producer, to require them to stop selling in California as long as they continue force feeding the ducks in violation of animal cruelty laws. The Ninth Circuit is also about to rule on reinstating California's ban on this cruel product after a misguided judge blocked its enforcement.
Supporting sanctuaries--The APRL Thrift Store has been able to provide funding this past year to New Life Animal Sanctuary and Farm Sanctuary to support their life-saving and educational work.
Supporting rescue efforts--Our Orange County Community Outreach Director Alicia Koberstein runs the Catalina Harbor Cats Project to feed and care for an abandoned colony of cats on Catalina Island, after spaying and neutering of course. APRL has also helped volunteer Jim Corriere providing dog supplies and shelter to chained dogs in Mexicali, Mexico.
SoCal VegFest--APRL sponsored the 2nd Annual SoCal VegFest at Orange Coast College this past fall.
Protecting La Jolla Seals--We have a pending federal case to block enforcement of an Orange County judge's misguided ruling ordering San Diego not to protect its harbor seal colony. The judge's decision is currently stayed by an appellate court, and the city is fighting it. The seal rookery remains closed for this year's pupping season because of a city ordinance APRL helped pass in 2010.
Thanks for being a supporter of APRL!
www.APRL.org
