Randy Turner has always been an advocate for animals, and as a Fort-Worth based attorney, he has been dedicating a portion of his law practice to representing animal groups, humane societies, animal rights activists, and others who help animals for more than 30 years.
This dedication to animals earned him the Don Feare award in 2012.
Right out of law school, Turner moved to Fort Worth and started his own practice. It was then that he also began volunteering at the local humane society, cleaning out cages and caring for animals. When they learned he was an attorney, they asked him to join the board. That move launched the beginning of his work for animals—most of which he does pro bono.
“They didn’t teach animal law when I was in law school, so I was self-taught,” Turner said. He worked on cases defending PETA, the Humane Society of North Texas, and other organizations.
One of his proudest achievements is that, in all his years practicing animal law, none of the animal rights groups or activists he has defended in either criminal or civil cases has been convicted or found liable; they were either found not guilty or the cases were dismissed.
Turner has worked as a volunteer on wildlife conservation projects around the world, including orangutan rehabilitation in Borneo, Indonesia, elephant conservation in Kenya, and black rhino conservation in Zimbabwe.
The list of animal welfare organizations he has represented or served on is long. He has represented and served on the boards of directors of several animal welfare organizations. He is a founding member and past chairman of the Animal Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and frequently lectures on animal law and has testified several times in the Texas House of Representatives and Senate committee hearings on bills pertaining to animals.
The Don Feare award was created in 2012 after Feare, an Arlington-based civil litigation and criminal defense attorney, received a lifetime achievement awards for his dedication to animal law. That same year, he was also honored as one of the Top 10 Animal Defenders in America by the Animal League Defense Fund.