Massachusetts Civil Rights & Animal Law

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 When government officials or state actors violate your civil rights or unlawfully harm or kill your animals, you may have a powerful remedy under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. At Teper Legal, PLLC, we fight aggressively in federal court to hold municipalities, police officers, animal control officers, and other government actors accountable when they step outside the bounds of the Constitution.

42 U.S.C. § 1983, part of the Civil Rights Act of 1871, provides that:

“Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State … subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen … to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured ….”【42 U.S.C. § 1983】
 

In plain terms, this law allows individuals to sue state or local officials in federal court when their constitutional rights are violated.

Although the law treats animals as “property,” the Constitution protects property rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. When a police officer, animal control officer, or other state actor:

• Unlawfully seizes, injures, or kills a dog or other animal,
   
• Trespasses or enters property without due process, or
   
• Denies owners fair hearings or notice before depriving them of their animals,
   

such actions may constitute constitutional violations actionable under § 1983.

Federal courts have recognized that the unreasonable seizure of animals can violate the Fourth Amendment, and that failing to provide adequate notice or a fair hearing before taking an animal can implicate the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process protections.

At Teper Legal, we bring § 1983 claims to:

• Challenge the unlawful killing of dogs by police or animal control officers.
   
• Hold municipalities accountable for customs or policies that endanger animals or violate owners’ rights.
   
• Seek compensatory damages, attorney’s fees, and, in some cases, punitive damages against the individuals themselves (not the municipality) to deter future misconduct.
   

Because § 1983 is a federal remedy, it allows us to bypass local stonewalling, bypass state statutory damage caps, and take your case directly into federal court—where constitutional violations are taken seriously.

Attorney Adam E. Teper has experience in both animal law and civil rights litigation, uniquely positioning Teper Legal to handle cases where these areas intersect. We understand the legal nuances of:

• Federal constitutional law
   
• Massachusetts municipal law
   
• Animal control regulations and enforcement practices
   

By combining these, Teper Legal provides a strategic, aggressive approach to holding state actors accountable when they harm animals or trample the rights of their owners.

If your dog, cat, or animal has been harmed or unlawfully killed by police, animal control, or another government official, or if your civil rights have been violated, you do not have to face the system alone.

📞 Contact Teper Legal, PLLC today to discuss your case. We fight in federal court under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to protect your constitutional rights and the lives of your animals.