US Animal Lawyer Finds New Life and Laughs in Ireland

From Cross-Border Drama to Wexford Charm, Peter Brandt Embraces Irish Culture

An American animal lawyer, **Peter Brandt**, has traded the legal battles of the United States for the rolling hills of Wexford, Ireland, finding a new appreciation for conversation, humor, and a slower pace of life.

A Legal Career Focused on Compassion

Peter Brandt, an animal lawyer with a specialized focus on farm animals, has spent his career advocating for humane treatment. His work has involved suing large agricultural operations for pollution and lobbying for legislative changes to ensure better living standards for livestock. He humorously recalls the historical legal practice in France, where mice were once summoned to court for damaging crops, only to fail to appear—a testament to the “long weird history of legal systems prosecuting animals.”

Brandt’s passion for animal law led him to his wife, Becky Jenkins, also an animal rights lawyer and activist. Their journey together has been a global one, weaving through Portland, Vancouver, and now Wexford, Ireland, Jenkins’s hometown.

Love Found Across Borders

The couple met at law school, where Jenkins was pursuing an advanced degree. Brandt, visiting his alma mater, was giving a talk on animal law. He admits to being initially oblivious to Jenkins’s interest. “I was really in the dark for quite a while,” he reflects on their early coffee shop meetings in Portland.

Their relationship faced significant hurdles, including visa complications for Jenkins. What followed was a complex period of travel and separation, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when borders tightened. Their unconventional wedding took place in late 2020 at Peace Arch Park, a symbolic location straddling the US-Canadian border. Even after marriage, moving to Canada proved challenging, with Brandt being turned back at the border with his three cats in tow on his first attempt.

After a year together in Vancouver, they finally relocated to Ireland in November 2021, settling in Wexford. Brandt found the transition smoother than anticipated. “I speak the language. And showing up where we’ve got Becky’s family and she has friends in Dublin and Wexford,” he notes, feeling fortunate to have integrated well.

Cultural Contrasts: Humor and Connection

Brandt observes a distinct difference in social interaction between the US and Ireland. “Frankly, if I was given the choice of meeting a few random Americans or a few random Irish people, I’ll always choose the random Irish people,” he states. He praises the Irish for their conversational skills and appreciation for humor. “In America, and it’s a generalisation but there’s a tendency to hyper-literalism. People aren’t as funny, and don’t really value having a good story to tell, and being funny.”

He finds resonance with Irish humor, particularly self-deprecating styles, citing authors like Roddy Doyle and comedians like Sharon Horgan as influences.

Adapting to a New Work Rhythm

Despite the specialized nature of animal law, which he describes as largely unknown even in America, Brandt continues his work remotely as a contract attorney for US charities, including Humane World for Animals. This requires a significant adjustment to his schedule, working from 2 p.m. into the night to accommodate US time zones.

The demanding nature of his work, often involving tedious research, requires substantial caffeine intake. However, Brandt is working to reduce his coffee consumption, facing the challenge of late-night calls without stimulants. He has shifted his focus from supervision and administration to writing and research to make his workload more manageable.

Family, Friends, and Mental Health Awareness

Jenkins remains active in activism with Animal Rebellion Ireland and also pursues her passion for acting, appearing in plays and short films. Her American accent, a remnant of her seven years living in the US, often proves useful in her roles.

Since moving to Ireland, Brandt notes that many of his American friends and family are inquiring about relocating. Even his parents, who have visited, have a touch of Irish heritage. He humorously notes the common American tendency to discover distant Irish ancestry.

Brandt notes a significant societal difference in the open discussion of mental health. While acknowledging that the situation is evolving in Ireland, he observes a prevailing “just-tough-it-out” attitude, contrasting with the more open dialogue he experienced in the US. “In my experience, this stuff is not talked about as much,” he says.

However, he also highlights a concerning trend: “I’ve never had so much proximity to suicide as since I moved here.” He attributes this, in part, to the close-knit nature of smaller communities where personal crises are more widely known, and to potential differences in mental health resource accessibility. “American cities tend to have more mental health resources available, though often limited ways of accessing them,” he states.

Reflecting on his legal profession, Brandt points to the heightened mental health and substance abuse issues within the US legal community, attributing it to the constant exposure to worst-case scenarios. “You’re trained to spot the worst case scenario, all the time. Then it’s hard to shut that off when you leave work.”

Conversely, he finds that in Ireland, individuals sometimes appear more reserved about their struggles. “A lot of stuff is kept buried,” he observes, noting that people might not disclose fundamental life crises, preferring to maintain a facade of everything being fine.

Despite these observations, Brandt remains content. “I’m just happy to be here. Me and Rosie O’Donnell, part of the narrow end of the wedge,” he says, embracing his new life in Wexford.

For those affected by mental health issues, The Samaritans can be reached at 116 123 or via email at jo@samaritans.ie.