The Greatness of a Nation: How United States v. Stevens Continues to Rubber Stamp Animal Cruelty

Authors

Peyton Mills, University of Kentucky

Abstract

Animal cruelty has long been an issue in American law. Even before the colonies became "Free and Independent States," early laws prohibited the abuse of any "bruite [sic] Creature" usually kept for "man's use." Today, such prohibitions have stretched even further. Federal law protects laboratory animals, livestock, pets, and wildlife to varying degrees. Federal prosecutorial bodies have increasingly been taking animal cruelty more seriously. And state laws often protect animals to an even greater extent than their federal counterparts. These animal welfare successes, however, routinely fall short due to reporting and enforcement issues--issues made worse by the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in United States v. Stevens, which struck down a federal statute criminalizing certain depictions of animal cruelty.

Document Type

Blog Post

Publication Date

9-2-2025

Notes/Citation Information

Peyton Mills, The Greatness of a Nation: How United States v. Stevens Continues to Rubber Stamp Animal Cruelty, The KJEANRL Blog (September 2, 2025), https://perma.cc/2PBJ-ZT3P.

Repository Citation

Mills, Peyton, "The Greatness of a Nation: How United States v. Stevens Continues to Rubber Stamp Animal Cruelty" (2025). KJEANRL Blog. 701.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/law_kjeanrlblog/701