Bob Barker: The Celebrity Godfather of Animal Rights Law

It was announced today that Bob Barker gave one million dollars to Northwestern University to fund an endowment for a course on animal rights law. Apparently, he has made similar gifts to Duke, Stanford, Columbia, and UCLA.

I wonder what an animal rights case law textbook looks like. From a cursory Google search, it looks like it is still very much in the theoretical stage a la Critical Legal Studies. For example, the National Association for Biomedical Research has a fairly extensive Animal Law Section on its website. Lewis & Clark Law School runs The National Center for Animal Law, which publishes the only law review devoted exclusively to animal law.

The legal system is filled with craven, hypereducated animals already (no apologies to creationists). So focusing on the real ones doesn't seem that much of a stretch. At first blush, I am against the concept of animal personhood on the basis that human beings have unique cognitive abilities that allow the use of nature to pursue interests beyond simple existence and base procreation.

Mr. Barker, a fellow Californian, should be made aware that he is currently living in one of only two states that prohibit private ferret ownership. Assemblyman Paul Koretz has introduced a bill that would remedy the situation. This bill is but the latest incarnation of a long series of bills that have become a perennial favorite sarcastic target of the Sacramento chattering classes. In the floor "debate" in the California Assembly last year, Tim Leslie let it be known that his vote was tied to whether the year ended in an odd number or even number. In the recall election, one candidate actually ran for governor exclusively on the pro-ferret plank.

The real comedy is that California law precludes ferret ownership in the first place. This is utterly unbecoming in a state where only a few years ago the voters passed an initiative banning the production and sale of horsemeat for human consumption.