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WASHINGTON COUNTY, OR (KPTV) — Horses can’t sue–that’s the ruling from a Washington County Circuit Court judge.
The judge Tuesday threw out a $100,000 lawsuit filed by the Animal Legal Defense Fund in the name of an eight-year-old horse from Oregon named Justice.
Justice was once neglected by his owner, so the animal activists argued that he had the right to sue to help pay for his medical care.
Officials last March found Justice severely underweight and covered in lice.
Attorneys working the case said animals have protected rights in Oregon and, just like a human victim, can sue their abusers.
The judge Tuesday said there are profound implications to finding that a horse, or any non-human animal, is a legal entity, and would likely lead to a flood of lawsuits. The judged added that animals are incapable of accepting legal responsibilities.
Justice, a name given by his rescuers, was saved from a Cornelius farm in March last year.
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