Animals are subject to the law, but they cannot invoke it themselves. They cannot challenge systemic injustice, demand enforcement, or hold authorities to account. That gap is where the Animal Litigation Network operates.
The Animal Litigation Network exists to make animal law enforceable. We work to ensure that legal protections for animals are not merely symbolic, but applied in practice. By strengthening partners, coordinating strategic litigation and building a network of legal and enforcement capacity, we turn existing law into real protection for animals.
Although strong legislation exists across European countries, enforcement is inconsistent and often ineffective. Illegal practices such as routine tail docking, inadequate enrichment, and violations in animal transport persist. NGOs frequently lack litigation expertise, coordination, access to legal resources, and affordable representation. Structural legal barriers, such as restrictive admissibility rules and vague statutory language, further undermine efforts to protect animals. A systemic, coordinated response is urgently needed.
Our Board and Advisory Committee consist of lawyers, legal and policy experts, and enforcement specialists. Some of them are animal law practicioners or animal law experts, others are academics or founders/CEOs of national animal law NGOs. The foundation is registered in the Netherlands.
Many animal NGOs focus on rescue, care, public awareness or campaigning. That work is essential, but it does not always address the question of enforcement. The Animal Litigation Network occupies a different role. We are a legal and enforcement-focused organisation, dedicated to ensuring compliance with existing laws and creating real consequences for violations.
Our approach is strategic and systemic. We do not primarily address individual cases for their own sake, but use them to expose and change the systems that allow harm to persist.
We strengthen partners, pursue strategic litigation and build a network of legal and enforcement capacity to challenge animal rights violations and transform the systems that undermine animal welfare.
Our work is grounded in a systems perspective. We look beyond individual incidents to the legal, institutional and cultural structures that shape outcomes for animals. Enforcement is central to everything we do: laws for animals must apply in reality, not only on paper. We believe in strengthening others rather than replacing them — building partnerships, listening closely to practitioners in the field, and supporting those who want to act.
We are impact-driven. Our success is measured in structural outcomes: court decisions, policy changes, improved enforcement practices and lasting institutional reform. Where possible, we work to scale impact from local cases to regional or international change.
The Animal Litigation Network operates at the intersection of law, enforcement and the animal protection movement. Rather than focusing on individual rescues or awareness campaigns, we concentrate on the systems that determine whether animals are protected at scale: legislation, oversight, enforcement practices and legal accountability. Our work is grounded in a systems perspective. We look beyond individual incidents to the legal, institutional and cultural structures that shape outcomes for animals. Enforcement is central to everything we do: laws for animals must apply in reality, not only on paper. We believe in strengthening others rather than replacing them — building partnerships, listening closely to practitioners in the field, and supporting those who want to act.
The Animal Litigation Network coordinates and pursues strategic litigation. We identify cases where legal action can have structural impact: by improving enforcement practices, influencing policy, clarifying legal standards or setting judicial precedents. Crucially, this litigation is animal-driven. The animal protection movement helps shape the agenda, ensuring that legal strategies respond to real-world harms and systemic failures, rather than being defined solely by legal professionals. We work with NGOs, local advocates, whistle-blowers and regulators to challenge violations of animal law and the systems that consistently undermine animal welfare.
The Animal Litigation Network also invests in building a shared practice around animal law enforcement. We connect litigators, enforcement authorities, policymakers and researchers in a growing international network. By sharing best practices, case law and enforcement models, we help develop a common professional standard for animal law enforcement. This approach allows effective strategies to be adapted and scaled across regions, particularly within a European context.
A core part of our work is strengthening animal protection organisations and movements. Many NGOs have the knowledge, motivation and legitimacy to act, but lack access to legal tools, enforcement strategies or coordinated support. The Animal Litigation Network brings organisations, lawyers, regulators and civil society actors together, enabling collaboration and shared learning. We develop practical toolkits, training programmes and guidance that help partners use the law more effectively — from understanding enforcement procedures to gathering evidence and initiating legal action.
