All About Jeff Kerr General Counsel Of People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) With Information About PETA, Animal Abuse, Legal Field, Animal Abuse Violations And More.

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Jeff Kerr Battles Animal Abuse as General Counsel of
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
[By Kenneth Davis]
A passion for justice compelled Jeff Kerr to enter the legal field, and that same passion ultimately led him to become a champion
for animal rights.
“For me, the legal profession has always of Covance, one of the world’s largest the suit, Covance accused PETA and its agent
been about justice,” said Kerr, who has been contract testing laboratories, for animal of committing fraud, violation of employee
General Counsel of PETA since 1993. “As abuse violations. In 2004 and 2005, a contract, and conspiracy to harm the
early as I can remember, I think I’ve always PETA agent went undercover as a Covance company’s business by deceitfully infiltrating
had a very strong feeling of wanting to be employee to expose animal mistreatment in and videotaping the company’s facility in
part of a system that provides justice for Covance’s Vienna, VA, facility. The 11-month Vienna, VA. The suit also claimed that PETA
people or, as my career has developed, for investigation uncovered numerous instances interfered with Covance’s contract with the
animals who have no voice.” of extreme animal abuse and cruelty, agent and sought the return of all video,
according to Kerr. audio, and other materials that the agent had
Kerr and his colleagues at PETA work recorded while working undercover as an
tirelessly to protect animals from myriad “[PETA] documented some horrific cruelty employee.
abuses, including those carried out in in that facility,” he said, “including a monkey
testing labs, on fur factory farms, in with a broken arm that was left untreated Kerr said the suit was an attempt by Covance
slaughterhouses, and even by circuses. in a cage for four days, workers that were to “silence PETA and keep it from telling the
striking and choking monkeys, slamming world what it had found.”
“Our mission statement is ‘Animals are not
monkeys into their cages after they had
ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use
dosing tubes rammed down their throats, In October of 2005, PETA and Covance
for entertainment,’” he asserted. “And so
monkeys who died horribly in tests for drug reached a settlement agreement. As part
we focus our legal work as much as we can
companies, monkeys who self-mutilated of the settlement, Covance agreed to drop
on every one of those areas, trying to use
as a result of [Covance’s] failure to provide the suit in exchange for PETA’s promise not
existing laws to protect animals from harm.”
psychological enrichment and socialization.” to conduct undercover investigations of its
facilities for five years. PETA also agreed to
Kerr, who works out of PETA’s headquarters
When PETA released the findings of the inform the company about any infiltrations
in Norfolk, VA, said that as general
investigation publicly and to the United currently in progress, and the agent agreed
counsel, he handles a broad spectrum of
States Department of Agriculture (USDA), to never seek future employment at the
issues, including those involving contracts,
Covance sued PETA and its UK affiliate. In Vienna facility or any of its affiliates.
intellectual property, real property
acquisitions and dispositions, tax-exempt
issues, and corporate governance.
Advice to Young Lawyers: However, PETA was permitted to retain a
single copy of the materials that the agent
“I think the most important thing is to had obtained for the purpose of providing
“And I’m involved in litigation on behalf of
follow your heart and follow your passion,” them to investigators at the USDA, the Food
animals, including our right to conduct our
Kerr said. “Do what truly makes you happy and Drug Administration, and the Fairfax
investigations to expose and report animal
and motivates you, and don’t get sucked County Commonwealth’s Attorney. Kerr said
abuse and cruelty to proper authorities,” he
into the material aspects of law. It’s not that PETA Europe, its UK affiliate, fared even
said. “And that’s probably what I’m most
about money. Money is not going to make better and won the case outright.
proud of-my involvement in that work.”
you happy, and it’s not going to nourish
One of the recent notable matters in which your soul.” “The judge who heard the case in the UK
PETA was involved was its investigation specifically said that the rough manner
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in which the animals were handled in the part of their natural instincts, and when profession,” he said. “And in our democracy,
Covance facility ‘cries for explanation,’” you’re talking about a two-ton elephant, the protecting the minority from the tyranny of
he said. “And said the world that we had elephant doesn’t do these things because the majority. And that’s the quintessential
disclosed versus the sanitized public- you ask politely; these animals are routinely role of an animal rights lawyer-to [give a]
relations version of Covance portrayed a whipped, beaten, hit with sharp metal bull voice to the animals who have none legally
different reality and that PETA Europe was hooks. For people who want to get this and try to protect them from the tyranny of
certainly entitled to set the record straight. information themselves, go to circuses.com.” humans who will abuse them, exploit them,
And PETA Europe was awarded all of its legal and subject them to suffering.”
fees and costs in the case. And they were Kerr said another one of PETA’s goals is to
fined by the USDA for having violated the encourage people to adopt vegetarian diets. Kerr discussed some of the biggest
Animal Welfare Act.” challenges of his job:
“It’s healthier for people, and it’s certainly
On another front, Kerr said that PETA’s better for the animals and the environment,”
“Well, as you know, [what PETA, as a] […]
anti-fur campaigns have been “incredibly he said. “There are billions of animals killed
social-change organization, does is changing
successful in exposing the horrors of the fur every year in the United States alone for
people’s mindsets and showing them how
industry.” food, and they’re born into and raised and
to live a less cruel, more animal-friendly
die in terrible conditions in factory farms,
lifestyle,” he explained. “That is our
He said some of the abuses at fur factory including cows who have their throats cut
challenge on a daily basis. And utilizing laws
farms include leg-hold traps that break while still fully conscious, chickens that miss
to the extent possible that are not designed
animals’ legs, causing them to chew their their stunning baths who have their throats
to help animals but in many instances
own limbs off, and slaughter by genital and cut while fully conscious, animals that are
are crafted and implemented by animal-
anal electrocution so as to prevent damage bred to produce so much flesh that their
exploitive industries and the politicians who
to the fur. limbs literally crack under the weight of their
do their bidding to further enable animal
own bodies because they can’t support them.
suffering and exploitation.”
Kerr added that PETA’s anti-fur campaigns I mean, it’s Frankenstein science.”
have caused fur sales to plummet over the
Kerr studied history as an undergrad at
last two decades. Kerr said the justice aspect of law is what he
George Mason University in Fairfax, VA,
likes most about being an attorney.
graduating in 1984. He earned his law
“If you look at the fur industry now compared
“It seems to me that being a part of true degree from the University of Virginia School
to what it was 20 years ago when PETA’s
justice is the highest calling in the legal of Law in 1987. Following graduation, Kerr
anti-fur campaigns really started, it’s a shell
worked as a civil litigator at St. Louis-based
of its former self,” he said. “And it continues
law firm Gallop, Johnson Neuman. After
to go that way as people understand that
Q. What do you do for fun? working at the firm for a year and a half, he
there’s no excuse for fur, and these animals
A. I enjoy reading, running, adventure joined Keller and Heckman in its Washington,
are suffering for no reason other than
racing, scuba diving, cooking, hiking, DC, office, where he continued to do civil
people’s vanity. And, you know, it takes more
cycling, and golf. litigation work. In 1990, he joined the
than 60 animals to make one full-length
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as its corporate
mink coat. So if you don’t wear your dog or Q. What CD was most recently in your CD
counsel. About three years into his job at the
cat, don’t wear fur. It’s as simple as that.” player?
foundation, Kerr attended a lecture entitled
A. U2’s Greatest Hits.
He said that PETA has also made inroads into “Did Your Food Have a Face?”
fighting animal abuse in circuses. Q. What’s the last magazine you read?
A. I think it was the monthly edition of “I was 30 years old, and I’m embarrassed
“We’ve been very effective at exposing the Harper’s. to say that I hadn’t thought of animal rights
inherent cruelty in the keeping of elephants before then,” he said. “But I got it, and the
in circuses like Ringling Bros., [which] has Q. What’s your favorite TV show? justice to the animals is clear to me, and
a dismal record of violations of the Animal A. West Wing, and I’m also a fan of within a year, I was working as an attorney
Welfare Act, and raising people’s awareness classics like All in the Family and The for PETA.”
Honeymooners.
to only go to circuses that don’t involve
animals-things like Cirque du Soleil,” Kerr Kerr said the person who has influenced him
said. “Animals don’t do these tricks as the most in his career is civil rights attorney
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Philip Hirschkop, one of the founding thrilled when […] the Supreme Court finally the material aspects of law. It’s not about
members of the American Civil Liberties ended the case in favor of the protestors and money. Money is not going to make you
Union (ACLU) of Virginia and PETA’s outside denying applicability of civil RICO against happy, and it’s not going to nourish your
counsel. peaceful protestors very much along the lines soul.”
of what we were arguing in our amicus briefs.”
“He has been PETA’s outside counsel and He discussed some of the professional goals
chief trial counsel for its entire exis tence, Kerr added that any time PETA has a victory he’d like to accomplish in the next few years:
since 1980,” Kerr said. “It has been my great in exposing animal abuse, it is an extremely
privilege and a highlight of my career to rewarding experience and a career highlight. “I would certainly like to continue to
work with Phil. He has not only been a great improve the status of animals in the law and
mentor but [there is] no better example “And the victories can be small steps along continue to have breakthroughs and victories
of somebody who has dedicated his life to the path to ultimately being free to live where animals are given more and greater
making sure that justice is done for people in a world where they’re not abused and protection down the road to the day that they
and animals.” exploited anymore,” he said. enjoy the same fundamental freedoms that
you and I do, which is the right to live free
Kerr said the most rewarding experiences In addition to his work as the general counsel from abuse and suffering,” he said.
of his legal career include his work on for PETA, Kerr has served on the board of
PETA’s investigation of animal abuse the ACLU of Virginia since 2005; he’s also the ON THE NET
and the organization’s involvement in the chair of its policy committee and a member
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
long-running Supreme Court case NOW v. of the legal panel, which determines which
www.peta.org
Scheidler. legal matters the ACLU of Virginia will take
on.
Cirque du Soleil
“That was a case in which there was an
www.cirquedusoleil.com
attempt to pull RICO statute against peaceful Kerr had the following advice for law
protestors,” he said. “And we actually students:
American Civil Liberties Union
submitted amicus briefs for over a decade
www.aclu.org
at the Supreme Court at the Seventh Circuit “I think the most important thing is to follow
on behalf of the right to protest freely with your heart and follow your passion,” he
the threat of a civil RICO action that would said. “Do what truly makes you happy and
obviously kill free speech. And we were motivates you, and don’t get sucked into
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