Justice v. Vercher: The Horse Who Went to Court

CLIENTS

Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF)

OVERVIEW

Justice’s story is unlike any other. Severely neglected, he survived frostbite, infection, and starvation before being rescued in Oregon. But his battle did not end there. The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) took his case to court, arguing that animals should be recognized as crime victims with the right to seek restitution.

Motivo was tasked with bringing this unprecedented legal fight to life on screen — creating a film that combined the emotional power of Justice’s recovery with the legal magnitude of the case.

CHALLENGE

Animal cruelty laws often lack civil enforcement, leaving animals without recourse even when their suffering is proven. ALDF needed to show that Justice’s case was more than a technical legal battle. It was a chance to set precedent and redefine protections for all abused animals.

The challenge: how to turn a complex legal argument about “standing” into a story that audiences, donors, and lawmakers could connect with and rally behind.

SERVICES

• Creative Development

• Production Coordination

• Video Production and Directing

• Script Writing & Story Shaping

• Editing and Post Production

CREATIVE APPROACH

Motivo’s creative choice was to flip the narrative on its head.

The film opens with what sounds like the story of a neglected child — a seven-year-old in rural Oregon, severely underweight, struggling with behavioral scars from abuse. Only later do we reveal that this “child” is in fact a horse named Justice.

This narrative structure was designed to make viewers confront their own assumptions: if neglect is clearly unacceptable for a child, why should it be tolerated for an animal? The reveal sharpened the audience’s emotional response while setting up ALDF’s legal argument about crime victim status.

SOLUTION

After extensive pre-production with ALDF attorneys and Justice’s rescuers, our crew filmed at the farm where he now lives, capturing his recovery, heartfelt interviews, and the sensitivity required when filming an animal who had survived neglect. We then traveled to Portland to record ALDF attorneys explaining the legal precedent at stake.

In post-production, we wove these threads together with narration by actress Nikki Reed, crafting a film that balanced emotional storytelling with legal clarity.

The result reframed Justice’s lawsuit as more than a legal technicality. It became a story about accountability, compassion, and the possibility of a new era in animal protection.

RESULT

The film amplified ALDF’s groundbreaking case, helping transform a complex lawsuit into a widely understood cause.

• Raised awareness across national audiences through screenings, digital campaigns, and press coverage.

• Equipped ALDF attorneys and advocates with a powerful visual tool to explain why animals deserve recognition as crime victims.

• Strengthened donor engagement by connecting legal strategy with emotional storytelling.

• Positioned ALDF as a pioneer in animal law, highlighting the stakes not just for Justice, but for the future of animal protection nationwide.