Rights protect against intolerable wrongs—no matter who you are.
With persistence and rigor, we're challenging a centuries-old status quo that unjustly sees all nonhuman animals as legal "things" with no rights.
The NhRP mourns the passing of Happy the Elephant
The NhRP mourns the passing of Happy, the history-making elephant whose landmark case opened courtroom doors in the fight for legal rights for animals. From 2018 to 2022, Happy was our client in a groundbreaking New York habeas corpus case seeking recognition of her right to liberty and release to an elephant sanctuary. Although Happy never received the freedom she deserved, her case changed the legal landscape forever and inspired judges, lawmakers, and people around the world to confront the injustice of elephant captivity. We continue to fight in Happy’s memory and call on the Bronx Zoo to honor its commitment to close its elephant exhibit and release Patty, its remaining elephant, to an accredited sanctuary.
A video message from the NhRP
Learn about our unique mission and work.
Our clients
Our initial cases demand the right to liberty of self-aware, autonomous nonhuman beings who undeniably suffer when deprived of their freedom.
Take action
Here are some quick ways to help our clients and show your support for our mission.
Action alert
Submit a message to help #FreeTheFresnoElephants.
Action alert
Submit a message to help #FreeHappy and #FreePatty.
Sign petition
Join others in calling for Happy's freedom.
Tweet support
Elephants don’t belong in zoos.
Sign petition
Join others in calling for freedom for the Fresno Chaffee Zoo elephants.
Tweet support
The science is clear. When will the law catch up?
Tweet support
I believe in a world where nonhuman rights are protected alongside human rights.
Tweet support
We aren’t the only beings who need and want to live freely.
Media coverage
New Yorker
“A curious legal crusade is raising profound questions about the interdependence of the animal and human kingdoms.”
Associated Press
“Animal rights activists have started legal efforts aimed at removing elephants from zoos.”
The Atlantic
“No case like this has ever reached so high a court, anywhere in the English-speaking world.”
A brief history of the NhRP's impact
As in any fight for social justice, persistence is key to progress. Below are some key milestones in our fight for nonhuman rights.
December 2013
The NhRP launches our long-term litigation campaign in New York with habeas corpus petitions demanding the right to liberty of four captive chimpanzees.
May 2015
Our chimpanzee clients Hercules and Leo become the first nonhuman animals in history to have habeas corpus hearings to determine the lawfulness of their imprisonment.
May 2018
A judge on New York's highest court urges his fellow judges to treat our clients' rightlessness as “a deep dilemma of ethics and policy that demands our attention."
November 2017
The NhRP files the first-ever habeas corpus petition on behalf of elephants.
May 2022
The New York Court of Appeals becomes the highest court in the US to hear arguments in support of nonhuman animal rights in our elephant client Happy's case.
June 2022
Two judges on New York's highest court issue powerful dissents in support of Happy the elephant's right to liberty.
Blog
From the Halls of Justice to the Pittsburgh Zoo: Documenting the Reality of Elephant Captivity
Photographer Gigi Glendinning generously volunteered her time and talent to document the lives of the NhRP’s clients—five female African elephants…
Our Case for Elephant Rights in Hawai‘i Continues
Earlier this year, the Nonhuman Rights Project’s habeas corpus petition on behalf of Mari and Vaigai—two, wild-born female Asian elephants…
Bridging the enforcement gap: Inside our appeal for Ridglan’s remaining dogs
Last night we took two steps to protect the hundreds of dogs who remain at Ridglan Farms Last night we…
Sign up to receive the latest updates on our mission
Find out about opportunities to get involved, breaking news in our cases and campaigns, and more.