Learn more about us
Building better laws for animals
The Animal Law Foundation was founded by Edie Bowles, a solicitor with a vast amount of experience in animal protection legislation.
It is primarily a legal research charity that looks into neglected areas of animal law and where appropriate will instruct lawyers to bring legal challenges to ensure that any systems in place to protect animals function as they should.
Groups like this exist in the environmental and the human rights space in the UK and in the animal protection space in other countries. There is a desperate need for such work to protect animals in the UK, which is why The Animal Law Foundation was founded.
The UK still has some of the best animal welfare laws in the world, yet the opportunity for vast change contained within these laws is rarely explored. Through exploring these opportunities the whole system for animals can be improved and set global examples.
It is of vital importance that laws that exist to protect animals are understood and applied. The Animal Law Foundation works alongside stakeholders to ensure that this happens.
Our Mission
To build legal frameworks that prevent cruelty and suffering, through ensuring compliance with animal protection law and facilitating the enforcement and intended interpretation of that law.
Success stories
-
Our legal interpretation that it is illegal to boil decapod crustaceans, like crabs and lobsters, alive was adopted by the UK government.
-
Our call for the enforcement of laws prohibiting the routine tail docking of pigs and accountability from the veterinary profession, who authorise the procedure, has led to a government commitment to work with the veterinary community to reduce the numbers in its Animal Welfare Strategy.
-
Our call for official guidance on the welfare of farmed fish (for their whole lifecycle) was adopted by the Scottish Government.
-
Our work coining and leading on The Enforcement Problem, the systemic failure to enforce animal protection laws, has led to the UK government committing to strengthen enforcement mechanisms.
Help us have an even bigger impact yet and protect millions of animals
Edie Bowles, Founder and Executive Director
Edie is the founder and executive director of The Animal Law Foundation. Edie is also a solicitor and managing director of Advocates for Animals, the UK’s first animal protection law firm. Edie’s goal is to ensure that animal law is recognised as an important area of law and applied in practice to ensure animals are receiving the protections afforded to them.
Get in touch
If you would like to get in touch with us for any other reason please email at hello@animallawfoundation.org or fill out the contact form on the link below.
Stay updated
If you would like to learn more about our work please sign up to our mailing list below to stay updated! We’ll never share your email or data with anyone.