Est. 1979 · National Authority
Defending The Pets You Love.
Richard Bruce Rosenthal, Esq. — National authority on animal & dangerous dog law. Defending pets and the people who love them since 1979.
(631) 629-811145+
Years At The Bar
1000+
Pets Defended
24/7
Richard Answers
Our Mission
A practice built on love and unwavering defense.
For more than four decades, Richard Bruce Rosenthal has stood beside families when the system turned against the animals they love. He treats every case as personal because every animal he defends is somebody's family.
From criminal defense to civil rights to estate planning, Richard built The Dog Lawyer practice on a single conviction: animals are not property. They are lives entrusted to us, and the law must rise to protect them as fiercely as we do.
"No Pet Is Safe, Unless All Pets Are Safe."
What We Do
How We Protect Your Pet
Why Richard
Three Pillars. One Promise.
No. 01
Hired Gun
Richard takes the cases he believes in and fights to win them. He is a trial attorney who walks into rooms other lawyers walk out of.
No. 02
Takes The Heat
Government officials, opposing counsel, hostile judges — Richard is unafraid of any of them. He pushes back harder than the system pushes.
No. 03
Civil Rights Approach
Animals are not chattel. Richard frames harm to your pet as a civil rights violation, not a property dispute — and that single shift changes the math of every case.
The Origin Story
It Started With One Greyhound Named Lexus.
Decades ago, before "animal law" had a name, Richard met a greyhound named Lexus who was sentenced to die. The reasons were thin, the process was rigged, and no lawyer in the country wanted the fight. Richard took it anyway.
What followed was a courtroom battle that didn't just save one dog. It carved a path through American jurisprudence — proving that an animal's life could be defended with the same rigor a human's freedom is defended.
One greyhound launched a movement. That movement is still answering the phone at 3 AM.
Reviews
Richard didn't just save my dog Bugsy. He saved my family. He treated our case as if his own pet was on the line — and he won.
Robin Elen · Bugsy, Lab Mix
I called at 11 PM expecting voicemail. Richard answered. By morning he had a strategy. By the end of the week, my dog was home.
J. Marquez · Otis, Pit Bull
Other lawyers told me there was nothing to be done. Richard told me there was everything to be done. He was right.
Carole D. · Sadie, Rescue Mix
He understood that this wasn't a property case. This was my family. The way he framed it in court changed everything.
M. Patel · Cooper, Senior Lab
My ex threatened to put our dog down out of spite during the divorce. Richard stopped it cold and got an order of protection that covered her.
Anonymous Client · Penny, Beagle
I needed a pet trust set up correctly so my horses would always be cared for. Richard treated each animal like a person who mattered.
L. Greene · Two Senior Horses