The Constitutional Defense of Animals in Brazil

Abstract

This chapter offers a framework of animal law and its development in Brazil. The purpose is to explain the trajectory of animals from objects to subjects in the Brazilian Constitution and the response of the Brazilian judiciary, legislative, and executive branches to the matter of animal law. The chapter considers the contributions of animal and human rights activists as well as the evolution of the legal protection of animals in Brazil. Furthermore, the chapter explores the effects of the article of the Brazilian Constitution that both prohibits cruelty to animals and requires governmental protection for fauna and animal species. Thus, this chapter shows that the discussion on animal welfare law offers insight into how the Brazilian legal system functions and how it affords an opportunity to build in the interest of animals.