Meet the first African American in the US to dedicate her full-time practice to animal law

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Akisha Townsend Eaton is the first African American in the United States to dedicate her full-time practice to animal law in the early 2000s, but she started her journey at the Humane Society of the United States.

Eaton, a local attorney, says, “It was definitely something that, you know, was a passion project for me. I was always interested in the well-being of the animals. I grew up with a pet, as many of us did, and just became familiar with the treatment of animals. And society didn’t feel like they got enough attention in society and in the law specifically. So that was a great entry point.”

Eaton says the animal protection legal field wasn’t around when shewas growing up, but that changed once she graduated from college. The movement for animal law came about because of history.

Eaton says, “You know, you really couldn’t practice animal law or really any area of law and social justice without seeing the intersection. Not a lot of people know this, but the field got its inspiration from the Civil Rights movement, as did pretty much every other social justice movement that evolved since then.”

For Eaton, after Hurricane Katrina, nearly 40% of those who died had pets they couldn’t bring to safety, a tragedy that, along with the inspiring example of Cemore Carroll, deepened her commitment to ensuring that people and animals live and prosper.

“That’s one of my most impactful roles, because I had a chance to work on human and animal well-being together. So, making sure that people and animals can thrive together in society,” Eaton says.

Eaton does nonprofit work now, specifically with Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity, where pets and their owners are protected and their voices are heard.