Law Student Applying New Skills to Local Improvements

CONROE, Texas -- Now in her final year at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, Montgomery County native, Madison Hubbs is putting her skills toward giving back to her hometown by working to improve local animal protection laws.

As part of her coursework for a legislative clinic in animal law, Madison has drafted and submitted a proposal to the City of Conroe which includes creating an anti-cruelty law, a city-wide dog registry, and establishing cross-reporting between agencies involved in the protection of victims of abuse – whether people or animals.

The proposal highlights the importance of the bond between people and their four-legged best friends and seeks to emphasize the link between domestic violence and animal cruelty.

“Compassion for those without a voice pushed me to law school and now I’m excited to bring what I’ve learned back to my home town,” said Madison.

Madison is not alone in her interest in the growing field of animal law. More than 160 law schools in the United States now offer an animal law course – the list of schools which offer such instruction continues to expand, and includes such institutions as Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, Northwestern, University of Texas, SMU and Duke.

As a Criminal Justice graduate of SHSU, Madison has found a way to use her passion for the law and her love of animals to stand up for those without a voice. Motivated to sign up for animal law studies by her prior experience working for a Huntsville veterinarian, Madison appreciates that regardless of which avenue of the law she ultimately chooses as a focus, her familiarity with animal law will serve her well. Animal law comes into play in a wide range of legal arenas – including pet custody claims, veterinary malpractice, criminal animal abuse, housing/landlord disputes, wildlife habitat protection and estate planning.

A recent survey by the American Pet Products Association found that 62% of the households in the United States provide a home for at least one pet. Madison is hoping to make a difference for Conroe’s portion of that statistic. You can learn more about her proposals at Conroe Animal Protection.