Sabina Bravo works with a legal foundation Fundación Derecho y Defensa Animal in Chile and at Animal Policy International as a volunteer researcher. Although not yet a licensed lawyer, her significant contributions include coordinating a national campaign for the inclusion of animals in the constitution and handling animal cruelty cases. Her career began with a thesis on the U.K.'s animal cruelty laws. Sabina works on legal research, legislative action, and advocacy for animal protection.
Sabina’s Path to Animal Law:
Sabina Bravo's story is about discovering what she truly loves and making a career out of it. Initially, Sabina went to law school in Chile because it was an excellent way to have a stable job. But halfway through, Sabina wasn't sure if this was what she wanted. She was looking for something she could be passionate about.
During her last year of law school, Sabina was choosing a topic for her thesis. With a little push from her partner, she decided to dive into animal law. This was a significant change for her. She spent a lot of time researching the laws about animal cruelty in the UK, going back over 200 years. This research was hard but exciting for her, as she finally found something in law that she was passionate about.
While in university, Sabina joined a foundation called Fundación Derecho y Defensa Animal, which works with lawyers and law graduates. They work pro bono to protect animals. Sabina's job is to look at cases where animals were maltreated and help. She also works on campaigning for improved legislation and teaching people about animal law. Even though this work can be emotionally challenging, and she does it voluntarily, Sabina keeps going and looks to the field to grow and present more opportunities.
Sabina’s Successes in Animal Law:
Sabina coordinated a legislative campaign to include animals in Chile’s new constitution. This was a huge task, and she considers it one of her most significant achievements. The campaign was successful in raising awareness and getting support for animal’s protection. Even though the new constitution didn't pass (due to other political challenges), it raised public awareness about the importance of animal law.
Sabina works on tough animal cruelty legal cases alongside her team. They have had multiple successes where their work led to trials and penalties for people who abused animals. These cases show progress in how the courts and the law view animal cruelty; for Sabina, these successes are a big deal in her work.
Sabina’s Challenge in Animal Law:
Sabina’s work in Chile involves working in a context where animal rights aren't well developed yet. She needs to be creative, think outside of the box and have in-depth law knowledge to be a great communicator and campaigner and understand how to work in challenging political situations. Her work also entails handling many different jobs at the same time. She works on actual legal cases, campaigning for legislative change, doing research, and even fundraising at the same time. It's sometimes difficult to manage all these tasks daily, so she has to try hard to be very good at organisation.
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