Court Awards Default Ruling in Indiana Penning Case

Release Date:

December 19, 2012

Washington, DC—

Earlier this month, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), and Project Coyote obtained a default ruling in our lawsuit against the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for waiving state permit requirements for controversial penning facilities like WCI Foxhound Training Preserve (WCI). The judge signed, without changes, our proposed judgment, which included a declaration that WCI’s possession of coyotes without a permit is unlawful. While the verdict is an important victory over WCI, the DNR has not yet indicated whether it will enforce permitting laws against the illegal penning operation. If the DNR refuses to do so, AWI and the other plaintiff organizations will seek a court order requiring enforcement of the law.