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Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Courts - More on "Motion suggests guardian to oversee dogs seized from Vick home"
Updating yesterday's ILB entry, Dan McFeely of the Indianapolis Star today reports on the Valpo Law prof's appointment in the Michael Vick pit bull situation. Some quotes:
Should Michael Vick's pit bulls live or die?
That is a decision that will be made in part by Rebecca Huss, a Valparaiso University law professor and expert in animal law, who left the school Tuesday to begin evaluating four dozen pit bulls rescued from an animal fighting operation on property owned by the suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback.Late Monday night, a federal judge appointed Huss to be the guardian and special master in the case, which has captured national attention.
Huss, who teaches at the Northern Indiana university's law school, will make recommendations to the court on which dogs can be placed with an adoption agency and which should die. * * *
"My goal, and the court's goal, is to find the best possible future for the dogs and the humans and other animals with which those dogs would come in contact," Huss said in a prepared statement.
"As someone whose academic endeavors focus on the legal status and value of animals in our lives," Huss said, "I am honored to represent the interests of those at the heart of this case -- the dogs."
Huss was appointed by Chuck Rosenberg, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and her appointment became official when Judge Henry Hudson signed a court order, which was released to the media Tuesday. * * *
An Iowa native, Huss has been on the faculty of Valparaiso University School of Law since 1999.
Huss was called a leading expert in animal law by the U.S. attorney. She teaches a class on animal law, according to the school's Web site, and has written several articles on the subject. But law school spokesman Tom Shaer said Huss should not be considered an animal rights activist.
Laurie Adams, who runs Casa del Toro, an Indianapolis pit bull rescue operation, said determining the adoptability of a rescued pit bull is very important. Any signs of potential danger to humans need to be discovered before an adoption takes place.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 17, 2007 07:55 AM
Posted to Courts in general