Bruce Wagman Challenges the Law to See Dogs as Sentient Beings
Bruce Wagman, a leading voice
in animal law, has published a compelling new article in the American Bar
Association’s Animal Law Docket titled How Many Roads Must a Dog Walk
Down Before You Call Her a Sentient Being? The piece invites lawyers and
judges to confront a stubborn legal blind spot: the law’s reluctance to fully
recognize what science already knows about dogs.
In a brisk, persuasive
analysis, Wagman highlights the disconnect between modern research—confirming
that dogs feel emotions, form bonds, and experience suffering—and legal
frameworks that still largely treat them as property. He examines court
decisions that implicitly acknowledge animals’ inner lives while stopping short
of naming them as sentient, arguing that this inconsistency limits justice in
cases involving abuse, custody, and damages.
Bruce ultimately makes the case that recognizing canine
sentience need not be radical. Instead, he frames it as a logical next step,
one that would give courts a more honest and humane foundation for decision‑making.
Published in the ABA’s Animal Law Docket, the article adds urgency to a
growing movement to bring animal law into alignment with contemporary science
and societal values.