Full Title Name:  ASSET FORFEITURE AND ANIMAL CRUELTY: MAKING ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL TOOLS IN THE LAW WORK FOR THE MOST POWERLESS MEMBERS OF SOCIETY

Summary: Animals have historically been one of the most vulnerable segments of society to crime due both to their status as property and their inability to advocate for themselves. While this has long worked to their disadvantage, developments in an area of jurisprudence where criminal and property law merge now offer an unprecedented possibility. Forfeiture laws have become one of the most powerful and effective tools in the war against crime. The principles and precedents that have emerged from asset forfeiture are aptly suited to application in the animal cruelty context as well. This article discusses asset forfeiture and animal cruelty, offering suggestions on how to combine these two areas of law in an effort to better protect animals from abuse.