Animal Law Clinic

Sadly, after 12 years almost continuous pro bono service to the Victoria community, The Animal Law Clinic – a joint initiative of Lawyers for Animals and Fitzroy Legal Service – has suspended operations, effective from May 2025.  It is not yet known if or when this Clinic will re-start.

WHERE TO GO TO SEEK ANIMAL LAW ADVICE?

People in Victoria, Australia, who need legal advice because they have purchased a dog or cat from a breeder and then discovered that the animal has an underlying health condition, should contact The Animal Law Institute – see: https://www.ali.org.au/legal-advice

People in Victoria, Australia, seeking other animal law advice, but who cannot afford to pay for it, are recommended to contact their local Community Legal Centre, which may be found via a search on this page: https://www.fclc.org.au/find_a_community_legal_centre

People in Victoria, Australia who are seeking animal law advice in the interests of an animal (or animals) and who can potentially afford to pay for it, may call Lawyers for Animals solely for referral advice: 0423 659 042. Note: no legal advice can or will be given during these calls.

People in Australia who are seeking animal law advice but don’t fall into either of the categories, above, are referred to this list of Animal Law Services – one non-fee-charging, the remainder fee-charging – kindly provided by Voiceless, the Animal Protection Institute [but not updated since 2021]: https://voiceless.org.au/animal-law/animal-law-services/

Pigs

Of the many animals exposed to the horrors of factory farming, pigs have perhaps suffered the most.

Despite having personalities and intellects similar to dogs, sows are kept almost continually pregnant, and confined to stalls where they are unable to turn around or express their natural behaviours.

The chronic stress means they spend much of their time engaged in purposeless behaviour, such as head waving or bar biting.

Prior to giving birth, sows are moved to farrowing crates; barren, concrete enclosures where mother pigs spend weeks at a time on their bellies as they wean their young. They have no chance to form any lasting bond with their offspring.


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