In the late 1990s, Cherie Travis rescued a cat in Chicago.
Being a thoughtful daughter, she gave the cat to her mother who lived in New Jersey. Shortly after the cat had nestled into its new home, it vanished.
Travis thought the cat had been stolen, possibly for the bating purposes of pit bulls training to fight — a popular practice among dog fighting organizers. She became enraged and saddened by the idea that the cat she rescued could be used in such ruthless practices. Fortunately for Travis and her mom, the cat returned, but the incident remains a poignant moment in her life, shaping her and how she practices law.
After being laid off by her marketing firm in 1999, Travis decided to attend DePaul University College of Law. While in school, friends who ran animal shelters would ask Travis legal questions regarding animals. Though she couldn’t answer some of the questions because she didn’t have her law license yet, she thought animal law could be in her future, but only as something on the side.
But it became the dominant part of her life upon graduation in 2005, after she wrote her senior research thesis on amending the Illinois Animal Welfare Act. After writing her thesis, an opportunity opened up at the Center for Animal Law at DePaul to be its associate director. Straight out of law school, the position was perfect for Travis.
“[Animals] are the most helpless members of our society, and my position allowed them to get the help they need,” said Travis, now an adjunct professor of animal law at Northwestern University and DePaul, in addition to her position at the Center for Animal Law.
Since then, she has been championing for stronger regulations to protect animals, and uncovering dangerous conditions for animals in shelters.
Last year, Travis’s veterinarian approached her, saying some clients believed Pets Rescue Inc. in Bloomingdale was taking in too many animals and allowing them to live in deplorable conditions. Travis decided to visit the shelter for herself.
“It was one of the more depressing experiences I have ever had,” she said. “The animals were stuffed in cages. When I went in the basement and saw them, I felt such helplessness.”
Travis’ investigation and reporting the shelter to the Illinois Department of Agriculture resulted in the Pet Rescue Inc.’s license being temporarily suspended and having criminal charges of animal cruelty brought upon the shelter’s owners.
Travis says similar cases involving animals, in particular the dog fighting charges levied against former NFL superstar Michael Vick, have exposed the public to the grave realities of animal cruelty.
“I think that [Vick] was such a glamorized athlete that it was very shocking,” she said. “When people read about how [the animals] were killed, it was a real awakening. For the average person, that type of violence to man’s best friend was shocking.”
Travis hopes to resolve the ambiguous nature of animal law.
“The law is schizophrenic when it comes to animals,” she said. “At some point we need to recognize the glaring inconsistencies. If [Vick] did to cows or raccoons what he did to a dog, it might not be a crime.
“There are different standards for whether it’s a wild animal or a companion animal…a stray dog or an owned dog. There is a vastness of territory that needs to be resolved.”
By Josh Wolff
