How Animal Protection Laws Compare Across the United States

Since 2005, the Animal Legal Defense Fund has ranked the U.S. states in order from best to worst based on the strength of their animal protection laws. Illinois, Oregon, Maine, California and Michigan have consistently topped the list while North Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, Iowa and Kentucky remain the country’s least animal friendly states. Image Source: Animal Legal Defense Fund Although the top 5 states held strong in their rankings, a few others climbed the list by enacting landmark changes during 2015. New Jersey introduced their new and improved legislation on dog fighting. Penalties for the perpetrators were increased and the crime was upgraded to a RICO (racketeering) offense. Thanks in part to these improvements, New Jersey leapt an impressive 28 places from number 37 in 2014, all the way to number 9. The state of Ohio also showcased their dedication to animal welfare with a change to its laws regarding domestic violence cases. Pets may now be included in victims’ orders of protection, meaning that they may be named in the documents the same way children would be. Stephen Wells, Executive Director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, explained the significance of Ohio’s decision: ...