Ojai is now the first city in America to recognize a nonhuman animal’s legal rights.
On Tuesday night, the Ojai City Council voted 4-1 to adopt the ordinance sponsored by Councilmember Leslie Rule (District 1) and drafted in collaboration with the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP).
According to a press release from NhRP, the ordinance outlines and protects elephants’ rights to liberty.
“It’s indisputable that elephants suffer when deprived of their freedom and that animal welfare laws can’t end their suffering,” said NhRP Director of Government Relations and Campaigns Courtney Fern. “For elephants and the nonhuman animal rights movement, we are proud to support this first-of-its-kind ordinance and we commend the Ojai City Council for standing up for what is necessary and just.”
Elephants have been discovered to be intellectually, emotionally, and socially complex, and they are capable of suffering stress and brain damage if they are not permitted to move freely or interact with other elephants, according to the NhRP release.
“We have known for some time that elephants have strong empathetic responses to one another’s condition,” said Mark Scott, Interim Ojai City Manager. “I am glad that we are able to make this statement supporting the place of these noble creatures in our world.”
The Nonhuman Rights Project is currently attempting to collaborate with additional California and national towns to adopt similar legislation.
