Sarah Anne Thompson

Sarah Thompson is the founder of Thompson Animal Law and a nationally recognized advocate for animals and their guardians. She brings more than a decade of legal experience to her practice, along with a career-long commitment to animal welfare in litigation, teaching, writing, and public service.

Before founding Thompson Animal Law, Sarah served as a partner at Ryther Law Group, LLP, where she acted as lead counsel on more than 200 cases and helped managed the firm's caseload of approximately 140 clients at a time. Her work has included veterinary malpractice claims, tort matters involving boarders, trainers, and groomers, dangerous dog cases, shelter reform, nonprofit representation, and pet custody disputes, including matters intersecting with family law and domestic violence concerns.

Sarah has been named a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers for seven consecutive years, from 2020 through 2026. She also serves as Adjunct Faculty at the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School, where she teaches Animal Law Trial Advocacy, and she has taught Legal Drafting at the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Her broader work in the field includes publishing and speaking on topics such as pet custody, farmed animal issues, wildlife protection, and animal rights. Sarah also serves in leadership roles within the legal community, including the American Bar Association’s Getting Started in Animal Law Task Force and the Los Angeles County Bar Association Animal Law Section, where she co-chairs the Farmed Animal Law Committee (about which she cares deeply, being vegan). In addition, she is the Co-Founder and President of Red Wolf Rescue, reflecting the firm’s broader commitment to strengthening protections for animals, including wolves and wolf dogs–a particularly personal passion as the mom of three wolf dogs.