Cody Carlson

  • Hosted by The Humane Society of the United States
  • Sponsored by Animal Welfare Trust, The Humane Society of the United States
  • Service location Washington, District of Columbia
  • Law school Brooklyn Law School
  • Issue area Animal Law
  • Fellowship class year 2014
  • Program Design-Your-Own Fellowship

The Project

Cody assisted local law enforcement, prosecutors, agencies, and civil litigators in bringing meaningful enforcement actions following whistleblower documentation of large-scale animal abuse.

The Inspiration

Need Addressed By Project

Undercover investigations conducted by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) have repeatedly exposed egregious misconduct in a variety of animal industries. Too often, however, the parties responsible are not sufficiently held legally accountable for this misconduct. This project seeks to use HSUS’s findings to spur civil and criminal enforcement actions capable of remedying ongoing harms and deterring future unlawful activity.

Fellowship Highlights

In the past two years, Cody has:
• Set up a whistle blower hotline for farm workers calling for stronger workplace hazard standards
• Helped devise and draft complaint for potential class action consumer fraud lawsuits against internet puppy dealers and misleading “happy chicken” representations on egg cartons
• Worked with a variety of federal agencies to implement protocols to reduce the suffering of egg-laying hens affected by bird flu, lower the cost of care for seized animals, and filed enforcement requests that result in administrative closure of roadside zoos and similar attractions

Where are they now?

Now that the Fellowship is complete, Cody plans to:

• Continue protecting animals from abuse and neglect through a position with Mercy for Animals focused on legislative advocacy

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