Browning Law News Blog

The Oregon Supreme Court ruled in the case State v. Amanda Newcomb that dogs are more than property under the law. In this case the court found that the dog was more like a child. Previously dogs were more or less considered property because they can be bought and sold, and have few standards to how they are to be treated(abuse and neglect laws). Oregon law and the 4th Amendment profit such things as looking inside a purse without probable cause or a warrant, the court allowed a dog to have his blood drawn without a warrant under certain circumstances. Since the court did this, they granted legal significance to the dog's life meaning his capacity to experience feelings and pain.  State v. Amanda Newcomb started in 2010 when an animal cruelty investigator was called out to look into reports that Newcomb was beating and starving her dog Juno. The investigator found Juno with no fat on his body, eating miscellaneous things in the yard, and trying to vomit. Newcomb told the inves...

A Florida Uber driver was arrested on the Fourth of July for refusing to pick up a group of blind men and their service dogs. Simon Nau has been charged with battery and failing to transport a blind person with a service dog. Both charges are misdemeanors. Robert Stigile was in town for a National Federation of the Blind Convention and ordered an Uber to make sure that all of his friends and their dogs would fit. Stigile said that when Nau arrived, he told the group that he didn't take dogs. Stigile told the police that he already had the passenger door open and explained the the dogs were service animals. But Nau responded that he didn't care and began to drive away while Stigile, who is 100% blind, was still positioned in the doorway. The doorway hit his side and he began to yell because he was afraid of being dragged away. A valet told the police that he heard shouting as the van was pulling away. Police said that Nau was laughing when he was arrested and didn't full...