The Hen Report: “It Doesn’t Seem Fair” | Animal Cruelty Laws, SCOTUS & Constitutional Rights for Animals

This episode of The Hen Report features Mariann Sullivan and constitutional law professor Michael Dorf, filling in for Jasmin, for a wide-ranging conversation connecting Supreme Court doctrine to the fight for animal rights. Dorf draws sharp parallels between the catch-22 legal standards trapping activists like Wayne Hsiung and the contradictory hoops required for habeas corpus relief, arguing both function as reassuring “lies” that mask how little protection the law actually provides. The episode also digs into the recent birthright citizenship case, the case for and limits of extending constitutional rights to sentient animals, and why cruelty laws’ vague “necessity” standard lets outdated practices persist unchallenged.

• Michael Dorf breaks down how legal necessity defenses and habeas corpus doctrines create impossible catch-22s that mirror the obstacles facing animal cruelty investigations and activism
• Analysis of the Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship ruling and what the 14th Amendment’s broad language means for expanding legal protections beyond its original intent
• A critical look at sentience-based constitutionalism, including the practical and democratic challenges of extending constitutional rights to non-human animals
• Why animal cruelty statutes using terms like “necessary” or “unjustifiable” should be (though generally aren’t) interpreted to reflect modern ethical standards
• Updates on the Save Our Bacon Act, Oregon’s IP 28 ballot initiative, and grassroots lobbying efforts shaping the future of farmed animal welfare policy

RESOURCES

• • • • • Farm Bill Lobbying Training: Harnessing the Power of Grassroots Activism
        • The “Huge Vegan Survey” Aims to Be the Biggest Study of Vegans and Plant-based People
        • Redefining Democracy: How Constitutional Law Could Embrace All Sentient Life
        • Yes on IP28
  •  We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode’s interview.

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Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

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Join hostesses Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan on this unique and fun award-winning podcast that focuses on changing the world for animals.

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