Pet Law 101: Custody and Housing Disputes, Neglect, Bites, Veterinary Malpractice and More (2025 Edition)

Bruce Wagman | Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP

Since 1992, Bruce Wagman has been using his legal degree to protect and save animals and assist those who care for them — from individuals to the largest international animal welfare groups. His experience in the area of animal law is unparalleled.

Bruce’s clients include numerous animal protection organizations as well as private individuals. He has worked on behalf of many species, including alpacas, bears, birds, cats, chickens, chimpanzees, chinchillas, cows, deer, dogs, dolphins, ducks, elephants, elk, ferrets, geese, goats, gorillas, horses (domestic and wild), lions, mice, monkeys, pigs, rabbits, sharks, turkeys, whales, and wolves.

Bruce’s forte is the kind of creative lawyering it takes to fit animal interests into the legal world, and his clients regularly applaud his ability to model creative solutions and take on the toughest problems. His practice covers a broad range of animal-related legal issues, including cases involving animal cruelty, animal rescue, wildlife, and the use of animals in entertainment, biomedical research, and animal agriculture/food production. He has a long history of success in a wide range of cases constituting “impact litigation,” but he also loves to work with individuals on cases involving dog bites, animal custody disputes, and injuries to, and caused by, animals. Bruce brings an undeniable passion for each of his cases, a dedication to both his human clients and the animals involved, and he has a proven ability to turn that passion into winning arguments both in and out of the courtroom. He takes an “eyes on the prize” approach to all of his matters.

Bruce is the only lawyer running an exclusive animal law practice in a major United States firm, and he focuses on matters that benefit both society and the animals themselves. He litigates, drafts animal-friendly legislation, oversees rescue operations, and consults clients who care for and protect animals. He has published two major works, the leading casebook for law schools nationwide — “Animal Law: Cases and Materials” — and a global survey of animal laws, “A Worldview of Animal Law,” a global survey of animal law. Bruce also founded Project Chimps, a chimpanzee sanctuary that is home to chimpanzees retired from a research laboratory.

I. Understanding the intersection between animal law and other legal areas | 1:00pm – 1:30pm

II. Custody disputes | 1:30pm – 2:00pm

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

III. Housing disputes | 2:10pm – 2:40pm

IV. Neglect and abuse | 2:40pm – 3:10pm

Break | 3:10pm – 3:20pm

V. Investigating neglect/abuse claims | 3:20pm – 3:40pm

VI. Dog bite liability and litigation | 3:40pm – 4:00pm

VII. Veterinary malpractice | 4:00pm – 4:20pm