Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Chimpanzee

This week, the Nonhuman Rights Project filed a lawsuit in the New York Civil Supreme Court of Fulton County (Docket #2051/2013) on behalf of Tommy, a chimpanzee who is caged in a used trailer lot. The Nonhuman Rights Project is an organization that advocates for legal rights for non-human animals. This is their first suit, and the organization plans to bring two other cases on behalf of chimpanzees. The cause of action in the present case is for habeas corpus. The Nonhuman Rights Project argues that like former slaves who were considered chattel and later granted personhood, Tommy the chimpanzee should likewise be granted legal rights.

You can monitor the progress of this suit by following the docket, using Bloomberg Law.