How do you own a wild animal? Why are drug dogs given such a benefit of the doubt? Can bees “trespass?” Why did the Medieval French put pigs on trial for murder? And does the Queen of England really own all the swans?

This is an episode for animal lovers, and lovers of legal mysteries more generally. Joining us are Professors Katy Barnett and Jeremy Gans of the University of Melbourne to discuss their new book “Guilty Pigs: The Weird and Wonderful History of Animal Law.” It explores the ins and outs of all the ways that animals and the law intersect, from the curious to practical to the constitutional, from dogs to bees to foxes. Not only that, it marks the first time Short Circuit has had an Australian (two of them!) on the show. Come for the exploration of the intersection of drug dogs and civil forfeiture, stay for the ownership rights of the IKEA monkey.

Guilty Pigs: The Weird and Wonderful History of Animal Law, https://www.amazon.com/Guilty-Pigs-Wonderful-History-Animal-ebook/dp/B09CGQDNGD

Florida v. Harris, https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/11-817_5if6.pdf

IJ amicus brief in Florida v. Harris, https://ij.org/amicus/florida-v-harris/

Florida v. Jardines, https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/11-564_5426.pdf

Short Circuit episode on Robot Law, https://shortcircuit.org/sc_podcast/163/

Katy Barnett, https://law.unimelb.edu.au/about/staff/katy-barnett

Jeremy Gans, https://law.unimelb.edu.au/about/staff/jeremy-gans

Anthony Sanders, https://ij.org/staff/asanders/