Joe Wills
@drjoewills.bsky.social
Associate Professor, University of Leicester. Research interests: animal rights law, human rights law, legal theory. 🌱
Reposted by Joe Wills
January 31st marks a tragic anniversary. Happy has been held in solitary confinement at the Bronx Zoo for 20 years. 💔 Elephants are social, self-aware beings. For Happy and Patty, isolation is torture. It’s time for sanctuary. Take action: https://bit.ly/46pbJA5 ✍️🐘 #FreeHappy
Send Happy and Patty to sanctuary!
On the 20th anniversary of Happy living in solitary confinement at the Bronx Zoo, please take action on her behalf. Urge the Wildlife Conservation Society to free Happy and Patty to an elephant sanct...
action.nonhumanrights.org
January 31, 2026 at 7:33 PM
January 31st marks a tragic anniversary. Happy has been held in solitary confinement at the Bronx Zoo for 20 years. 💔 Elephants are social, self-aware beings. For Happy and Patty, isolation is torture. It’s time for sanctuary. Take action: https://bit.ly/46pbJA5 ✍️🐘 #FreeHappy
Reposted by Joe Wills
"We saved 37 lives at Sunrise. For that reason alone, it was an enormous success." - Wayne Hsiung
New Animal Law Podcast with @marisul.bsky.social explores the landmark legal case that could redefine animal rescue.
Listen on your fav podcatcher, watch on YouTube, or visit ourhenhouse.org/alp128
New Animal Law Podcast with @marisul.bsky.social explores the landmark legal case that could redefine animal rescue.
Listen on your fav podcatcher, watch on YouTube, or visit ourhenhouse.org/alp128
January 30, 2026 at 3:37 PM
"We saved 37 lives at Sunrise. For that reason alone, it was an enormous success." - Wayne Hsiung
New Animal Law Podcast with @marisul.bsky.social explores the landmark legal case that could redefine animal rescue.
Listen on your fav podcatcher, watch on YouTube, or visit ourhenhouse.org/alp128
New Animal Law Podcast with @marisul.bsky.social explores the landmark legal case that could redefine animal rescue.
Listen on your fav podcatcher, watch on YouTube, or visit ourhenhouse.org/alp128
Reposted by Joe Wills
Grief over pet death can be as strong as that for family member, survey shows, reports The Graun. Researcher calls for guidelines for diagnosing prolonged grief disorder to be expanded to cover people who lose pets. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Grief over pet death can be as strong as that for family member, survey shows
Researcher calls for guidelines for diagnosing prolonged grief disorder to be expanded to cover people mourning pets
www.theguardian.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:37 AM
Grief over pet death can be as strong as that for family member, survey shows, reports The Graun. Researcher calls for guidelines for diagnosing prolonged grief disorder to be expanded to cover people who lose pets. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Reposted by Joe Wills
Very much looking forward to talking to Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka today about their new @oxfordunipress.bsky.social book 'Animals and the Right to Politics'.
We are opening this term's Talking Animals series with a book launch! 📙
During this event, Sue Donaldson (Research Associate at Queen's University) and Will Kymlicka (Professor of Political Philosophy at Queen’s University) will discuss their new book ‘Animals and the Right to Politics’. (1/3)
During this event, Sue Donaldson (Research Associate at Queen's University) and Will Kymlicka (Professor of Political Philosophy at Queen’s University) will discuss their new book ‘Animals and the Right to Politics’. (1/3)
January 27, 2026 at 10:09 AM
Very much looking forward to talking to Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka today about their new @oxfordunipress.bsky.social book 'Animals and the Right to Politics'.
I am struggling to put into words the rage and sadness I feel about the tyrannical Trump regime’s campaign of fascist terror against the people of Minnesota. The bravery of the residents resisting it is inspiring.
January 26, 2026 at 9:12 AM
I am struggling to put into words the rage and sadness I feel about the tyrannical Trump regime’s campaign of fascist terror against the people of Minnesota. The bravery of the residents resisting it is inspiring.
Reposted by Joe Wills
For those cephalopod lovers among you, our new updated review of the evidence for cephalpod sentience has now been published in Biological Reviews. (Sadly the picture is of birds rather than cephalopods, as this is the journal cover!)
doi.org/10.1002/brv....
doi.org/10.1002/brv....
Sentience in cephalopod molluscs: an updated assessment
This article evaluates the evidence for sentience – the capacity to have feelings – in cephalopod molluscs: octopus, cuttlefish, squid, and nautilus. Our framework includes eight criteria, covering b...
doi.org
January 21, 2026 at 11:48 AM
For those cephalopod lovers among you, our new updated review of the evidence for cephalpod sentience has now been published in Biological Reviews. (Sadly the picture is of birds rather than cephalopods, as this is the journal cover!)
doi.org/10.1002/brv....
doi.org/10.1002/brv....
Two recent burglary trials of activists who rescued puppies from breeding facilities delivered two opposing verdicts: guilty in the first, not guilty in the second. Wayne Hsiung offers incites on why trials with identical facts resulted in different outcomes:
blog.simpleheart.org/p/britain-pr...
blog.simpleheart.org/p/britain-pr...
They Faced 10 Years in Prison for Rescuing Beagles. Here's How They Won in Court.
The simple playbook that changed the verdict: Ethics. Stories. Hope.
blog.simpleheart.org
January 16, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Two recent burglary trials of activists who rescued puppies from breeding facilities delivered two opposing verdicts: guilty in the first, not guilty in the second. Wayne Hsiung offers incites on why trials with identical facts resulted in different outcomes:
blog.simpleheart.org/p/britain-pr...
blog.simpleheart.org/p/britain-pr...
Reposted by Joe Wills
History made. 🐘 Pennsylvania has issued its first-ever habeas corpus order for a nonhuman animal. Judge Mary C. McGinley has advanced the NhRPs lawsuit on behalf of the Pittsburgh Zoo elephants. Learn more: https://bit.ly/45MlTuf
January 14, 2026 at 12:08 AM
History made. 🐘 Pennsylvania has issued its first-ever habeas corpus order for a nonhuman animal. Judge Mary C. McGinley has advanced the NhRPs lawsuit on behalf of the Pittsburgh Zoo elephants. Learn more: https://bit.ly/45MlTuf
Wonderful news!!!
‼️ NOT GUILTY ‼️
Jury says: Rescuing Beagles is not a crime!
Four Animal Rising defendants have been found not guilty of burglary for rescuing beagle puppies from MBR Acres - and from a lifetime of suffering in a laboratory.
In just over an hour, the jury made it clear: compassion is not a crime.
Jury says: Rescuing Beagles is not a crime!
Four Animal Rising defendants have been found not guilty of burglary for rescuing beagle puppies from MBR Acres - and from a lifetime of suffering in a laboratory.
In just over an hour, the jury made it clear: compassion is not a crime.
January 12, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Wonderful news!!!
Reposted by Joe Wills
You can judge a person by the size of their moral circle. Trump, for instance, has the smallest possible moral circle, containing only him. Be the opposite: expand your circle. Include, for example, animals currently raised for food. We shut them out of our consciences. It's time to bring them in.
January 11, 2026 at 9:08 AM
You can judge a person by the size of their moral circle. Trump, for instance, has the smallest possible moral circle, containing only him. Be the opposite: expand your circle. Include, for example, animals currently raised for food. We shut them out of our consciences. It's time to bring them in.
Reposted by Joe Wills
Life imitates "Meat and You: Partners in Freedom" youtu.be/zR_4h5A5z_A?...
January 7, 2026 at 7:09 PM
Life imitates "Meat and You: Partners in Freedom" youtu.be/zR_4h5A5z_A?...
Reposted by Joe Wills
The Government coming off X is the bare minimum and realistically at this point I think we should seriously be looking at taking enforcement action against the company, in line with the Online Safety Act and VAWG Strategy. I will be pressing the Government on this when Parliament returns next week.
January 2, 2026 at 9:26 PM
The Government coming off X is the bare minimum and realistically at this point I think we should seriously be looking at taking enforcement action against the company, in line with the Online Safety Act and VAWG Strategy. I will be pressing the Government on this when Parliament returns next week.
Reposted by Joe Wills
“One billion chickens a year is not an ethical problem that can be solved with better regulations. It is a moral failure so large it has become invisible, like traffic noise.”
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
If you really care about animals, stop eating them | Letters
Letters: Dean Weston says we are still killing animals by the billion, but praising ourselves for marginally reducing panic and pain, while Jo Barlow calls for transparency and truth about where our f...
www.theguardian.com
January 2, 2026 at 4:00 AM
“One billion chickens a year is not an ethical problem that can be solved with better regulations. It is a moral failure so large it has become invisible, like traffic noise.”
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
Happy New Year to everyone!
Here’s my top UK animal rights heroes of 2025 (in no order) thread:
(1) the good folks of @animalrising.org for their brave and tireless activism for animals.
Here’s my top UK animal rights heroes of 2025 (in no order) thread:
(1) the good folks of @animalrising.org for their brave and tireless activism for animals.
December 31, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Happy New Year to everyone!
Here’s my top UK animal rights heroes of 2025 (in no order) thread:
(1) the good folks of @animalrising.org for their brave and tireless activism for animals.
Here’s my top UK animal rights heroes of 2025 (in no order) thread:
(1) the good folks of @animalrising.org for their brave and tireless activism for animals.
Reposted by Joe Wills
"... the first insects to be granted legal rights anywhere in the world..."
Stingless bees from the Amazon granted legal rights in world first
Planet’s oldest bee species and primary pollinators were under threat from deforestation and competition from ‘killer bees’
www.theguardian.com
December 29, 2025 at 9:12 PM
"... the first insects to be granted legal rights anywhere in the world..."
Reposted by Joe Wills
They "discovered" that when mice are rewilded they become less anxious.And this surprises scientists? Being trapped, tormented by experiments makes them more anxious than being free in nature. They had to learn this?
People experimenting on caged animals lose empathy, weakening basic understanding.
People experimenting on caged animals lose empathy, weakening basic understanding.
Scientists Released Caged Mice Into The Wild, And an Incredible Thing Happened
Dozens of laboratory mice allowed to roam a large outdoor enclosure returned to a typical level of mouse anxiety after just one week, researchers observed, suggesting that 'rewilding' may prevent lab-...
www.sciencealert.com
December 26, 2025 at 7:54 AM
They "discovered" that when mice are rewilded they become less anxious.And this surprises scientists? Being trapped, tormented by experiments makes them more anxious than being free in nature. They had to learn this?
People experimenting on caged animals lose empathy, weakening basic understanding.
People experimenting on caged animals lose empathy, weakening basic understanding.
Incredible news and fantastic work from the animal law foundation!
We are thrilled to announce a huge victory! After two years of hard work to have the government recognise boiling lobsters alive is unlawful, our work has finally paid off. In its Animal Welfare Strategy it is now the official position that boiling these animals alive is illegal.
December 22, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Incredible news and fantastic work from the animal law foundation!
Some really positive commitments here, including;
- phasing out cages for layer hens
- transitioning away from farrowing crates
- an end to CO2 gas stunning of pigs
- prohibiting the culling of male chicks
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Let's see if they deliver, but incredibly welcome news
- phasing out cages for layer hens
- transitioning away from farrowing crates
- an end to CO2 gas stunning of pigs
- prohibiting the culling of male chicks
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Let's see if they deliver, but incredibly welcome news
www.gov.uk
December 22, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Some really positive commitments here, including;
- phasing out cages for layer hens
- transitioning away from farrowing crates
- an end to CO2 gas stunning of pigs
- prohibiting the culling of male chicks
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Let's see if they deliver, but incredibly welcome news
- phasing out cages for layer hens
- transitioning away from farrowing crates
- an end to CO2 gas stunning of pigs
- prohibiting the culling of male chicks
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Let's see if they deliver, but incredibly welcome news
It's a real gut punch to hear that 5 kind souls who rescued puppies from lives of pain, suffering and death were found guilty by a jury of their peers for burglary. I hope this will be appealed.
🚨 BREAKING: Five people have just been found guilty for openly rescuing beagle puppies from an excruciating life of animal testing.
They may now face up to 10 years in prison for protecting dogs from harm.
They may now face up to 10 years in prison for protecting dogs from harm.
December 16, 2025 at 3:25 PM
It's a real gut punch to hear that 5 kind souls who rescued puppies from lives of pain, suffering and death were found guilty by a jury of their peers for burglary. I hope this will be appealed.
Reposted by Joe Wills
Watch Dr @raffaelfasel.bsky.social (cam.ac.uk) and Dr John Adenitire (qmul.bsky.social) discuss their book "Animals and the Constitution: Towards Sentience-Based Constitutionalism" with Dr Jeff Sebo (nyu.edu) and hosted by the NYU Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy.
December 11, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Watch Dr @raffaelfasel.bsky.social (cam.ac.uk) and Dr John Adenitire (qmul.bsky.social) discuss their book "Animals and the Constitution: Towards Sentience-Based Constitutionalism" with Dr Jeff Sebo (nyu.edu) and hosted by the NYU Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy.
BREAKING (via Joey Carbstrong on X): charges of aggravated trespass against 6 animal rights activists dropped on the basis of 'no realistic prospect of conviction' just days before trial. They were protesting the use of 'gas chambers' in a pig slaughterhouse. More details will follow.
December 9, 2025 at 10:44 AM
BREAKING (via Joey Carbstrong on X): charges of aggravated trespass against 6 animal rights activists dropped on the basis of 'no realistic prospect of conviction' just days before trial. They were protesting the use of 'gas chambers' in a pig slaughterhouse. More details will follow.
Reposted by Joe Wills
This week, dont miss the @icareanimals.bsky.social seminar on Right to Rescue & Voluntary Prosecution in Animal Advocacy, featuring @aaldp-du.bsky.social Director Justin Marceau, @dxeofficial.bsky.social cofounder Wayne Hsiung & Professor Matthew Liebman. 12/10 at 5 PM CT. Register luma.com/0b7oma41
Litigating & Legislating for Animal Rights Seminar #4: Right to Rescue & Voluntary Prosecution in Animal Advocacy · Zoom · Luma
Anchored to Human and Animal Rights Day, this seminar explores the bold frontiers of movement-lawyering in animal rights: the 'right to rescue' and 'voluntary…
luma.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:48 PM
This week, dont miss the @icareanimals.bsky.social seminar on Right to Rescue & Voluntary Prosecution in Animal Advocacy, featuring @aaldp-du.bsky.social Director Justin Marceau, @dxeofficial.bsky.social cofounder Wayne Hsiung & Professor Matthew Liebman. 12/10 at 5 PM CT. Register luma.com/0b7oma41
Reposted by Joe Wills
BREAKING: Our newly published data on #TheEnforcementProblem shows the UK is home to systemic breaches of animal protection laws but no prosecutions.
Scroll to see what we found 🧵👇
Scroll to see what we found 🧵👇
December 3, 2025 at 9:22 AM
BREAKING: Our newly published data on #TheEnforcementProblem shows the UK is home to systemic breaches of animal protection laws but no prosecutions.
Scroll to see what we found 🧵👇
Scroll to see what we found 🧵👇
Reposted by Joe Wills
The EU is running a public consultation, open until 12 December, on phasing out cages for millions of hens, stopping the routine killing of day-old male chicks, and adopting stronger animal welfare standards.
December 3, 2025 at 12:12 AM
The EU is running a public consultation, open until 12 December, on phasing out cages for millions of hens, stopping the routine killing of day-old male chicks, and adopting stronger animal welfare standards.
Reposted by Joe Wills
Very happy to announce the Helsinki Animal Law Conference 2026: "Reimagining Justice Across Species”.
Our keynotes are @annepetersmpil.bsky.social and @jeffsebo.bsky.social
You are invited to submit your application ✨
See you in June!
www.helsinki.fi/en/researchg...
#animallaw
Our keynotes are @annepetersmpil.bsky.social and @jeffsebo.bsky.social
You are invited to submit your application ✨
See you in June!
www.helsinki.fi/en/researchg...
#animallaw
December 1, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Very happy to announce the Helsinki Animal Law Conference 2026: "Reimagining Justice Across Species”.
Our keynotes are @annepetersmpil.bsky.social and @jeffsebo.bsky.social
You are invited to submit your application ✨
See you in June!
www.helsinki.fi/en/researchg...
#animallaw
Our keynotes are @annepetersmpil.bsky.social and @jeffsebo.bsky.social
You are invited to submit your application ✨
See you in June!
www.helsinki.fi/en/researchg...
#animallaw