Quick Facts
Biography
Rachel Hirschfeld (born January 20, 1946) is an animal rights activist and a lawyer specializing in the area of animal law, pet trusts, and pet protection agreements. She has been co-producer of productions of the plays Oleanna and Blithe Spirit.
Legal career
Hirschfeld is an advocate in the area of pet trusts. When a New York court awarded $2 million to Leona Helmsley's dog, Hirschfeld was quoted in The New Yorker calling it "one of the greatest moments in my life". She noted that "It's a landmark case, for a judge to be able to say that we have a case for that amount of money."
Hirschfeld has been either quoted or profiled by news and media outlets in stories about pet trusts and pet rights including ABC’s Nightline, The New Yorker, The New York Sun, Newsday, The Today Show, CNN, the CBS Early Show, the Wall Street Journal and The Wall Street Journal.