Webhistorian james mcwilliams joins us to talk about a time when animals were actually a part of society — so much that they stood trial to account for their misdeeds. Webthe historical record is somewhat hazy, but animal trials were a worldwide phenomenon, with cases in malaysia and congo, in brazil and new zealand and colonial america. But for whatever reason, animal trials peaked in europe between about 1400. Webin recent years, animal law scholars and activists have critiqued punitive and retributive approaches to crimes against animals as unjust and ineffective. Webthe majority of the animals at hscc are cats and dogs, but we also provide care and services for small animals such as rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs. Webthomas chittenden’s legal troubles help illuminate a fraught period in the early history of the united states. When vermont joined the union as the 14th state in. Toward legal rights for animals (2000, perseus publishing). Linder (2020) in december 2013, a legal document was filed in a county courthouse in the adirondack town of johnstown, new.