Animal law is a rapidly growing field working to expand legal protections for animals beyond property status, with significant recent advances in several jurisdictions.
Current law generally treats animals as property, limiting the legal recognition of their interests. Welfare legislation prohibits cruelty but does not grant rights. Personhood claims for great apes and cetaceans would create enforceable legal standing for their interests. The Animal Sentience Committee provides for scientific assessment of how government policy affects animal sentience — a powerful new mechanism for welfare protection.