PAWS, Laws & Claws: The Legal Side of Saving Cats
On this episode of Cattitude, Michelle Fern welcomes Sherrie Hines, professor at the University of Georgia School of Law and the new director of the groundbreaking PAWS (Practicum in Animal Welfare Skills) program. With over a decade of experience shaping animal-welfare policy, open-records law, and shelter operations—plus years as a public defender and a hands-on rescue volunteer—Sherrie brings rare insight into the legal and ethical challenges facing pets, shelters, and adopters today. From holiday adoption surges and what every pet parent should know, to the hidden legal risks behind “No-Kill” branding, to the First Amendment issues affecting public comments and online advocacy, Sherrie offers expert, actionable guidance for anyone who loves animals and wants to protect them. It’s an eye-opening, empowering conversation you won’t want to miss.
Listen to Episode #287 Now:
Cats, Courts & Community Care: Inside the PAWS Program
BIO:
Sherrie L. Hines joined the University of Georgia School of Law as a lecturer in the spring of 2025.
She comes to UGA after working for more than seven years in the Athens-Clarke County Attorney’s Office, having served as a deputy chief attorney. From 2009 to 2015, Hines served as an assistant public defender in the Western Judicial Circuit Public Defender Office. She also worked for two years at the Institute for Continuing Legal Education.
While at the Athens-Clarke County Attorney’s Office, she prosecuted all of the animal services ordinance violations and worked with the School of Law’s Practicum in Animal Welfare Skills program to overhaul the government’s animal services ordinances, which were adopted in 2022. Additionally, her work involved working with PAWS Director Lisa Milot to develop animal welfare classes to educate citizens and reduce recidivism. Her work also involved a wide range of local government law topics including employment law, elections law, housing and community development, ordinance and policy drafting, ethics, First Amendment litigation, contract drafting, and compliance with the Open Records and Open Meetings Acts. Additionally, Hines has regularly spoken at local government conferences presented by the Georgia Municipal Association, ICLE and Association County Commissioners of Georgia as well as various animal law conferences.
Hines is active in the local community and holds, or has held, leadership roles with the Madison-Oglethorpe Animal Shelter, Athenspets, the Friends of Bear Hollow Zoo, the Athens-East Piedmont Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society and YOUthServe.
She earned her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude and her law degree cum laude from the University of Georgia.
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