Which State Does Not Have Felony Animal Cruelty Provisions?

Despite a significant comeback in animal protection laws across all fifty U.S. states in recent years, many argue more needs done to combat and detect animal abuse. All states now include felony provisions in their animal cruelty laws, but they each have varying levels of punishment for various protection laws.

The Brute Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) released its almanac U.South. Beast Protection Laws Rankings in January, comparing each country'south beast protection laws.

GettyImages-75618135 — A rescued pit balderdash looks out from a muzzle in the Liberty Humane Society shelter in Jersey City, New Jersey, on July 24, 2007. Mario Tama/Getty Images

For the 11th year in a row, Kentucky was ranked the worst of all the states for animal protection laws, followed by Iowa (49), Wyoming (48), Utah (47) and North Dakota (46).

According to the report, Kentucky needs to implement a number of laws that other states accept implemented to ameliorate its ranking, including increasing penalties when abuse is committed in the presence of a minor or involves multiple animals, enforcing restrictions on future ownership or possession of animals if a person has been bedevilled of abuse and enforcing felony provisions in cases of fail or abandonment.

Kentucky is also the just land that prohibits veterinarians from reporting any suspected animal abuse to regime.

According to the report, Pennsylvania was the virtually improved land in 2017, jumping twenty places to 24. The ALDF said this was in function due to the state granting ceremonious immunity to veterinarians who written report suspected fauna abuse.

"Perpetrators of the most unthinkable violence against animals deserve more than than a slap on the wrist, and at present prosecutors in Pennsylvania have more than important tools they need to tackle these horrific cases," said Lora Dunn, director and senior staff chaser for the ALDF's Criminal Justice Programme.

"Sadly," Dunn added, "many cruelty cases get undetected, subconscious from public view, and veterinarians might be the just witnesses to these animals' suffering. That'southward why it's so important to empower veterinarians who doubtable beast cruelty to take action without fear of legal retribution by the abuser."

For the 10th yr in row, Illinois was ranked in kickoff place by the ALDF—followed by Oregon (two), California (iii), Maine (4) and Rhode Isle (5). The study ranked Illinois as the all-time state for brute protection considering of a number of listed strengths, including imposing felony penalties for cruelty, fail, fighting, abandonment and sexual attack, as well as increased penalties for echo animal abusers and mandatory reporting of suspected beast cruelty by select non-animal-related agencies and veterinarians.

More half of all states have "significantly improved" their creature protection laws in the past v years, according to the ALDF.

"Unfortunately, laws protecting animals can vary widely from state to country," says ALDF Executive Director Stephen Wells. "Our almanac U.S. Animate being Protection Laws Rankings provides a tool for animal advocates, shelters and even legislators to guess the relative effectiveness of their state's fauna protection laws and provides guidance for making positive changes."