Nonhuman Rights Project, Washington D.C., DC (2026)

05/22/2026

Retired Justice Barbara Jaffe published a powerful reflection in The Fulcrum today about the concept of judicial courage. She opens up about the ridicule she faced simply for granting the NhRP a chance for our lawsuit on behalf of two chimpanzees (Tommy and Kiko) to be heard.

“...the need to render decisions that might seem ridiculous to some also demands courage informed by the lessons of history.”

Without her willingness to open that door, key milestones in legal history may not have been made. Her courage paved the way for the former Court of Appeals Judge Fahey to issue his historic opinion in Tommy and Kiko’s case—in which he validated the NhRP’s argument—and later, for Chief Judge Wilson and Judge Rivera to issue their powerful dissents in the NhRP’s case on behalf of Happy the elephant.

Legal change rarely begins with consensus. It begins with people who are willing to seriously consider questions others dismiss.

We’re grateful for Justice Jaffe’s courage, thoughtfulness, and continued leadership.

Please read her article on judicial courage here: https://bit.ly/3RC2uIj

05/21/2026

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court is currently deciding whether wild-born Asian elephants, Mari and Vaigai, can have their day in court. If they do, it will be the third time in US history that a state’s highest court hears arguments on behalf of a nonhuman animal's right to liberty.

The , which holds Mari and Vaigai captive in the tourist mecca of Waikīkī, wants the Court to look backward. They argue we should lose simply because other courts in other states have rejected similar claims. But landmark civil rights litigation never progresses in a straight line. It takes persistence through setbacks.

In our latest reply brief, we reminded the Court of its own legacy as a civil rights pioneer:

“Before Hawai‘i became the first state to recognize constitutional protections for same s*x couples seeking the right to marry, those couples had already endured years of litigation setbacks across the country, including an outright rejection by the U.S. Supreme Court. Still, prior defeats did not prevent this Court from becoming the first state high court to hold that denying marriage licenses to same s*x couples presumptively violated constitutional equality guarantees.”

Over the years, from Albany to Colorado Springs to Honolulu, your support has helped the NhRP make legal history, bringing the issue of nonhuman animal rights to high courts across the country.

As we wait to hear from the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court about next steps in our case for Mari and Vaigai, please donate today to support our fight for Mari and Vaigai: https://bit.ly/4nKAA96

05/19/2026

Breaking case update on the Ridglan beagles 🚨

Last night the NhRP and the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project took two critical steps to protect the hundreds of dogs who remain at .

1️⃣ We filed our opening brief for appeal explaining why the law should recognize the beagles’ right to be free from cruelty and unlawful confinement.
2️⃣ We requested a temporary injunction to legally prohibit Ridglan from conducting medically unnecessary euthanasia while our appeal is pending.

Why is this injunction urgent? Because Ridglan has a documented history of killing dogs for "business reasons"—including culling retired dogs used for breeding and dogs deemed unsellable. Wisconsin’s anti-cruelty law explicitly prohibits this. The courts have the power to enforce these laws and ensure hundreds of innocent beagles are safe from euthanasia.

➡️ We need your help: Strategic litigation and legal battles require time and resources. If you’re able, please donate today to help fuel the work ahead: https://bit.ly/4dRjdjA

Thank you for standing with us.

05/15/2026

“Our role is not to teach elephants how to be elephants, but to step aside and give them the chance to reclaim who they are.” ✨🐘

This , we’re honored to share a powerful guest article by Brett Mitchell, Founder and Chairman of the Elephant Reintegration Trust (ERT). Brett is also one of the elephant experts who has submitted expert declarations supporting several of the NhRP’s cases on behalf of our elephant clients.

After decades working with both captive and wild elephants, Brett has become a leading voice for elephant reintegration, rewilding, and autonomy. In his guest blog, he reflects on his journey from managing captive elephants to helping those same elephants return to the wild.

His message is clear, that captivity denies elephants one of the most important parts of their lives: autonomy.

Read Brett’s firsthand perspective on why elephants deserve more than the cages and shackles of captivity, and what’s possible when we give elephants the chance to reclaim their lives: https://bit.ly/4tHVvLx

05/11/2026

🚨DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT (today and tomorrow only)

Big news! Every dollar you donate to the Nonhuman Rights Project over the next 48 hours will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $10,000.

The justice system still classifies autonomous nonhuman animals as legal "things" with no rights. The NhRP is on a mission to change that, but the fight to secure fundamental legal rights for nonhuman animals requires persistence. Legal breakthroughs require time, rigorous research, and strategic litigation.

Donate today to double your impact for animals: https://bit.ly/4tvmpGf
▪️ Your $25 becomes $50
▪️ Your $100 becomes $200

Please, help us build the legal foundation for lasting change. For those at risk, justice cannot wait.

The opportunity to have your gift to the NhRP matched, dollar for dollar, ends tomorrow (May 12) at midnight. Don’t miss this chance to make your support go twice as far! ❤️

05/07/2026

A bill to ban elephant captivity has been reintroduced in the New York City Council. The bill, Intro 590, will also require those holding elephants captive in New York City to relocate them to a sanctuary that meets their complex needs.

For decades, elephants Happy and Patty have been deprived of their freedom and forced to live in a small, unnatural enclosure at the Bronx Zoo. Both are confined alone. This is undeniably wrong—but we have the power to make it right.

NYC residents ONLY: take direct action to support this bill by contacting their council members here: https://bit.ly/4wgCphJ

If you’re not a resident of NYC, you can still take action! Help keep pressure on the zoo while this bill moves forward. Use this action alert to contact Bronx Zoo leadership and urge them to release Happy and Patty to a sanctuary: https://bit.ly/3QVrXfK

05/06/2026

For decades, the NhRP has advanced a simple but far-reaching idea: that nonhuman animals are entitled to fundamental legal rights.

Our work requires sustained effort—returning to courts again and again, refining legal strategies, and building the foundation for lasting change.

Every piece of progress we make for nonhuman animals is powered by people like you who support our work. And thanks to you—in courtrooms across the country, judges are now engaging directly with questions that were once easy to dismiss.

Here’s what that support helped made possible in 2025:

▪️ 21 nonhuman animal clients represented in our litigation.
▪️ 5 states where courts were asked to confront animals’ legal status and consider the inherent harm in denying them fundamental legal rights.
▪️ Evaluated and researched 17 new potential legal interventions aimed at developing procedural rules to treat nonhuman animals like subjects of the legal system entitled to fair process and protection.
▪️ Reached 5.8 million people on social media—helping shift public understanding of these issues
▪️ Reached nearly 370 million people through national and international media coverage that increasingly treats these legal questions with the seriousness they deserve.

These numbers reveal what’s possible when people choose to believe in and fight for a more just future for nonhuman animals.

In 2026, our work is expanding!

This year, we’re advancing a new legal strategy to address the justice system’s failure to enforce existing protections for nonhuman animals. This strategy is at the center of our case on behalf of the Ridglan beagles—a case that asks Wisconsin courts to simply deliver justice by protecting the beagles from unlawful animal cruelty.

At the same time, we’re continuing to press courts to confront the question of nonhuman animal liberty in Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, and plan to file new lawsuits this year on behalf of more nonhuman animals.

Our goal this spring is to raise $45,000 by May 31 to sustain and grow our work in 2026. Every donation makes a difference. For those at risk, justice cannot wait.

👉 Donate now: https://bit.ly/4tkyBtk

05/02/2026

This May, the Nonhuman Rights Project is honoring Endangered Species Day by amplifying the urgent needs of the world's most vulnerable individuals: nonhuman animals who suffer greatly from human exploitation with little hope of relief because our legal system fails to recognize their fundamental rights.

Throughout the month, we’ll shine a spotlight on the lives of the nonhuman animals at the heart of our work. We will revisit historic courtroom milestones, provide unique insights into our active litigation, and share exciting updates about what’s ahead in 2026.

It’s vital we address the issue of animal rightlessness when discussing conservation or endangered species, because rights are what protect against intolerable wrongs—no matter who you are. And for those at risk, time matters. The question of whether the law will recognize nonhuman animals’ fundamental rights remains urgent. Justice cannot wait.

We look forward to sharing more updates with you this month! Until then, will you help us accelerate the pace of justice?

Donate to support our work and the fight ahead in 2026: https://bit.ly/4dkEYrF

05/01/2026

In the wake of the news of the Ridglan beagles rescue agreement, many of you have asked an important question: “what about the remaining dogs?”

While we celebrate the 1,500 beagles who are getting out, we cannot lose sight of a sobering reality: the facility is not empty.

Our current understanding is that hundreds of beagles may still remain at Ridglan Farms—at the very facility where a judge previously found probable cause of animal cruelty violations.

Every single dog who remains at is entitled to protection from illegal cruelty. Our case continues on behalf of the remaining beagles.

We will share more details on our case and the status of the remaining dogs in the coming weeks.

04/30/2026

🚨Breaking news: Animal rescue groups have agreed to buy nearly 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms, a notorious Wisconsin dog breeding and research operation.

Last year, a judge found probable cause that animal cruelty was occurring due to conditions and practices at the facility. This year, the Nonhuman Rights Project and the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project filed a habeas corpus petition on behalf of the Ridglan beagles. The petition sought recognition that the beagles have a right to be free from unlawful cruelty and that the court should exercise its common law authority to protect them.

“We are deeply relieved by reports that nearly 1,500 beagles will be leaving Ridglan Farms. The world rallied for these dogs including activists and organizations from across the animal protection movement.” - Christopher Berry, NhRP Executive Director

While this is a developing story, it is undeniably the result of a massive, collective effort. We are profoundly grateful to the many advocates and organizations whose tireless work made this outcome possible.

As we continue to navigate next steps, we look forward to sharing more details on our case in the coming days.

04/29/2026

The fight for Mari and Vaigai’s liberty is heading to the Hawai‘i Supreme Court. ⚖️🐘

For decades, these two elephants have been held captive at the Honolulu Zoo. Our case was dismissed by the lower court based on the tired, misguided argument that elephants aren't "persons" under the law.

But legal personhood isn't a biological label—it’s a safeguard for liberty.

The law must adapt to evolving knowledge, social norms, and scientific discovery. Science has established that elephants are autonomous beings who suffer greatly when deprived of their freedom. To deny them the right to challenge their confinement is an injustice.

We aren’t backing down, and we hope you won’t either.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: As our litigation continues, help us turn up the pressure on the Honolulu Zoo to do what’s right.

🔗 Submit our action alert to email the Honolulu Zoo Director, urging her to release Mari and Vaigai to an accredited elephant sanctuary: https://bit.ly/4uae1MU

Nonhuman Rights Project

05/22/2026

05/21/2026

05/19/2026

05/15/2026

05/11/2026

05/07/2026

05/06/2026

05/02/2026

05/01/2026

04/30/2026

04/29/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organization

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category