News Briefs
Court Kills Suit to Ban Live Animal Markets in San Francisco
Coalition for Healthy and Humane Business Practices v. Never Ending Quails
On April 15, 1997, the San Francisco Law Offices of Miller and Miller filed suit in the Superior Court of the State of California on behalf of the Coalition for Healthy and Humane Business Practices, charging that live animal markets violate the California State law which bans the keeping of live animals in any wholesale establishment where food is stored or sold. The Court tried the case in April 1998 to decide whether the markets could continue to sell live birds, fish, turtles, frogs, and other animals for food. Although the Court found the markets’ treatment of these animals to be painful, dirty, distasteful, crowded, and distressful, it ruled that the Bible gave “man” dominion over animals, that the markets’ treatment of their birds is no worse than the rest of the poultry industry, and that, in the case of turtles, there is no reasonable alternative to killing them painfully. Miller and Miller appealed the Court’s decision, but in February of this year, the Court of Appeals of the State of California rejected the appeal.
United Poultry Concerns joins Baron L. Miller of Miller and Miller in thanking everyone who contributed financially to the lawsuit and who wrote letters of support. UPC wishes to thank Baron Miller for the hard work, time and effort he put into this difficult, politically-charged lawsuit, most of it pro bono.
- Related Link: 5/14/99 San Francisco Live Animal Market Update