Florida Bar mulls adding animal law committee

Tallahassee, Fla.-State veterinary officials are monitoring the Florida Bar as its leaders consider instituting an animal law committee recommended by an attorney known to represent animal rights activists.

The proposal, set for review by the Florida Bar's Program Evaluation Committee at presstime, calls for the interpretation of legal issues involving animals. If passed, the association's board of governors will consider the issue.

Although Florida Veterinary Medical Association (FVMA) officials remain leery of the action, Tom Julin, an attorney at the heart of the committee's creation, insists it will not represent special interests despite the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida's push for passage. Julin admits he retains the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida as a client.

"Animal law, whatever that means, I've found to be one of the most complex legal areas," he says. "The number of issues that involve animals tends to run through all different branches of the law. It's only when you have this kind of an issue, a broad application, that it's important to have a committee that takes focus."

On the horizon

At the heart of animal law sits controversial topics such as the non-economic status of pets, welfare regulations and language concerning owner/guardian distinctions. Changes to these issues could affect practitioners' lives, FVMA Executive Director Donald Schaefer says.

Donald Schaefer

"It's scary to think a group of lawyers will be sitting around discussing these topics, trying to change laws," he says. "There are just 2,000 veterinarians in the state. You can't predict what will come out of this committee."

Although the Florida Bar represents more than 74,000 attorneys, Julin insists the committee would steer clear of special interests.

"I don't think attorneys have any predisposed view as to what veterinarians rights should be," Julin says. "The majority of people expressing an interest in this are those on the side of advocating greater legal recognition of animals, so veterinarians ought to regard this as something that's potentially useful to them. It should be fun to get this thing going."