Innovations in Animal Law
At DU's Sturm College of Law, you'll find professors who'll push you to new frontiers.
Just ask Jennifer Thomaidis.
Jennifer Thomaidis has combined her law degree and love for animals to fight for pet justice.
Thomaidis is one of the earliest legal innovators in the area of animal law. While she always had a deep love for animals since her childhood spent a Maryland farm, she was unsure how to follow her pet passion in law school.
But while she was a DU student, adjunct professor Byron Hammond introduced her to the developments in animal law and urged her to take up the case for pets. Law clinic Lecturer Jay Tutchton also encouraged her to make a difference.
"When we came around to pet trusts, I saw her light up," says Hammond, who has set up trusts for his own pets in his estate planning. "She came to me after class and said, 'How do I make a career out of this,' and I said, 'I’m not sure I know of a soul in the country making practice out of this. Do it.'"
Since that conversation, Thomaidis has made headlines around the country in her pursuit of pet justice.
Front of the pack
Currently, Thomaidis represents more than 200 people in a class-action lawsuit against Menu Foods, the Canadian-based pet food producer tied to allegations of tainted food blamed for sickening and killing pets across the country.
She's also locked in a battle over breed-specific dog bans in Colorado cities that bar such breeds as pit bulls from city limits. And she's pressing for laws to make it easier for pet owners to win damages in cases of pet malpractice and loss. Many courts still view pets as property and rule that damages can only reflect the actual cost of the lost pet, not emotional loss.
"My goal is to be a leading force in changing these laws," she says. "There's this gray area with pets, and I think judges are reluctant to go there."
"If anybody can do it, she can. She’s got the drive," Hammond adds. "I fully expect her to be the national expert in this."
Tutchton says Thomaidis has found an area where the law has fallen behind. The path she has chosen will be difficult, but she can make a difference.
"There's a huge gap in this kind of law in Colorado," he says. "It's generally an area where the law doesn't recognize people's lives and how we feel about our pets."
Published on Feb. 4,2008