An eight-year-old horse named Justice is suing his former Oregon owner for $100,000 in damages in a neglect case that is setting a rare precedent.
The suit has been filed by the Animal Legal Defense Fund in Portland against former owner Gwendolyn Vercher, 41, of Cornelius, Oregon.
Justice, an American Quarter Horse, was said to have been 300lbs underweight and had lice, a skin infection, and had a deformed penis as a result of frostbite.
Justice, an American Quarter Horse, was 300lbs underweight and had lice and a skin infection
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in the Washington County Circuit Court, according to Oregon Live.
Justice will need special medical attention for the rest of his life, but now lives in a horse rescue in Troutdale – with Kim Mosiman – after he was rescued from Vercher in March 2017.
At the time of his rescue he was known as Shadow.
State case law advocates for animals to have legally protected rights, according to one of the horse’s lawyers, Sarah Hanneken.
A picture of the eight-year-old horse when it was in better health
The suit has been filed by the Animal Legal Defense Fund in Portland against former owner Gwendolyn Vercher, 41, of Cornelius, Oregon
‘The Oregon legislature clearly established an anti-cruelty statute for the safety and protection of animals,’ she said.
‘Victims of crimes can sue their abusers and animals are sentient beings that are recognized as victims under Oregon law. So with that premise, we’ve come to the conclusion that animals can sue their abusers and we’re confident of our stance in this case.’
All damages would go towards helping bring Justice back to good health and would go to his guardian, but the horse’s ailments have hindered his adoption.
A bandage wrapped around Justice
All damages would go towards helping bring Justice back to good health and would go to his guardian, but the horse’s ailments have hindered his adoption
In July 2017, Vercher was sentenced to three years of probation for first-degree animal neglect
In July 2017, Vercher was sentenced to three years of probation for first-degree animal neglect.
She is to complete 96 hours of community service within a year and has been prohibited from owning pets for five years.
He will need special medical attention for the rest of his life, but Justice now lives in a horse rescue in Troutdale after he was rescued from Vercher in March 2017. Kim Mosiman pictured
The woman paid $3,700 in restitution.
The lawsuit isn’t the first to go to court with an animal involved.
An animal rights group filed a lawsuit for a chimpanzee named Tommy in 2013. They sought ‘legal personhood’ for the chimp who they felt was being brutally abused in a trailer in New York.
The court ruled that animals don’t have legal rights.
Last month, an appeals court ruled in a case involving Naruto – a crested macaque with a love for selfies – and stated that animals couldn’t claim to have copyrights to photos.
In 2011, the monkey snapped images of itself and became a viral hit.