Now 'Pete' can say: Talk to my lawyer
Vermont Law School team will take up plight of problematic moose
Toolbox
By Thatcher Moats
STAFF WRITER - Published: September 13, 2009
MONTPELIER - So far, the moose known as Pete has a well-oiled public relations team and a vigorous grassroots campaign working on his behalf.
Now he also has a lawyer.
Pamela Vesilind, a Vermont Law School professor who is an expert in the growing field of animal law, attended a rally for the moose Saturday afternoon at the Statehouse and said she was there to start gathering the facts about the case.
"We're going to represent Pete the Moose," said Vesilind.
Pete lives among elk, white-tailed deer and fellow moose on a fenced 600-acre private elk farm and hunting preserve in Irasburg. He was raised by 73-year-old David Lawrence of Albany, who nursed the then-newborn creature back to health after Pete was attacked by dogs.
But Pete's life is in danger, many people say, and that's where the protesters and the lawyer come in.
The Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife has told the owner of the elk preserve, Doug Nelson, that to comply with new state regulations on captive hunting, the wild animals can't stay on the property. Fish and Wildlife officials worry that chronic wasting disease could spread from the imported elk to the native deer and moose population.
Nelson has said that Fish and Wildlife officials have threatened to come to the enclosure and shoot the deer and moose. But department Commissioner Wayne Laroche has previously disputed Nelson's assertion, saying that "there has been no discussion of the demise of any animal," and has left open the question of how exactly the problem will be resolved.
Vesilind learned about Pete the Moose after she approached a dean at Vermont Law School to talk about adding more animal-rights law to the school's curriculum.
"He pointed me to this compelling animal law issue that's right in our back yard," she said.
With the school's blessing, Vesilind is investigating Pete's case pro bono, or for free.
Vesilind said she's not yet familiar with the legal issues surrounding the case. But she plans to research the relevant regulations, talk to officials at Fish and Wildlife about their legal viewpoint and speak with Nelson.
"It's entirely possible the regulations are incomplete in that they may not anticipate a wild animal that is raised from infancy by a human," said Vesilind.
She also wants to explore whether Fish and Wildlife officials are relying on a technicality in their argument or if there is a genuine public health issue.
"There are at least two sides to every legal question," she said.
Vermont Law School does pro bono work in other areas of law, Vesilind said, which gives students a chance to work side by side with professional lawyers.
Animal law is a relatively new field, much as environmental law was in the 1970s, said Vesilind. But it's an important field considering how deeply attached people are to animals, she said.
Humans' love for animals was on display in more ways than one on the Statehouse lawn on Saturday. The "K9s and Company" dog festival, which included a dog massage station and demonstrations by police dogs, was taking place at the same time as the rally in support of Pete.
Organizers of the moose rally said they agreed to keep the event quiet so they wouldn't disrupt the dog event, and the result was a rather tame event compared with the one in Waterbury in July that included honking car horns and shouted slogans.
The number of people at the Statehouse to support Pete fluctuated as supporters came and went but averaged about 15 to 20.
Attendees insisted the event's quiet nature did not indicate a waning of enthusiasm for Pete, who now has his own Facebook page and an international following.
Jessica McCafferty said she drove an hour and a half from Peru, N.Y., to support Pete.
"I just think every animal has a right to live," McCafferty said.
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