Russ Mead

Expert Russ Mead

General counsel for two large animal sanctuaries


Russ Mead been general counsel for two large animal sanctuaries. Best Friends Animal Society is the largest no kill companion animal sanctuary in the US. Farm Sanctuary was the first farm animal sanctuary in the US. At Best Friends he set up the rescue operation compound for hurricane Katrina where 6,000 animals were rescued. He also was in charge of setting up many of large scale animal rescues in animal hoarding cases.

Russ is married to Laura Allen, who is also an animal rights attorney. Together they have a law practice, Allen & Mead PLLC. Russ and Laura balance this law practice with their animal rights and animal welfare work.  Russ practices nonprofit law and is proud of this work / animal advocacy / life balance.

Laura is the executive director of the the 501 (c) 4 nonprofit Animal Law Coalition.  From this platformRuss and Laura advocate for animals. Russ (with Laura)  are free to take on about any animal welfare or animal rights work they choose. The projects are constantly changing and are too numerous to list.

Russ also raises awareness of animal issues by creating ink brush paintings of animal subjects. Subjects include elephants hunted for ivory, wild horses being removed from public lands, whales who are illegally hunted, and “Cecil” the lion who was lured from a preserved and killed for sport.

Russ wrote a text book on nonprofit animal law and is a popular adjunct professor at Lewis & Clark Law School. Russ is frequently invited to lecture at animal law conferences and state bar seminars on the topic of professional responsibility for lawyers working in animal advocacy.  He has a BS in Accounting for Arizona State University, an MBA from Lindenwood University, has earned a CPA certificate from Arizona, and has a JD from St. Louis University School of Law.  Russ and Laura live in Seattle Washington.

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