Valerie Baron
Host: Natural Resources Defense Council
Sponsor: Animal Welfare Trust
Cody assisted local law enforcement, prosecutors, agencies, and civil litigators in bringing meaningful enforcement actions following whistleblower documentation of large-scale animal abuse.
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.
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
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
Host: Natural Resources Defense Council
Sponsor: Animal Welfare Trust
Host: The Humane Society of the United States
Sponsor: Animal Welfare Trust, Anonymous
Host: Oklahoma Indian Legal Services, Inc.
Sponsor: Anonymous, DLA Piper
Host: Indian Child Welfare Act Law Center
Sponsor: Dorsey & Whitney LLP, U.S. Bank