Maine Ranked Third-Best State for Animal Protection Laws

Contact: media@aldf.org

SAN FRANCISCO — For the second year in a row, Oregon ranks as the top state for animal protection laws according to the annual U.S. State Animal Protection Laws Ranking Report published by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), the nation’s preeminent legal advocacy organization for animals. 

The longest-running and most authoritative report of its kind, the 19th annual year-end report (2024) assesses the relative strengths and weaknesses of each U.S. state and territory’s animal protection laws, and ranks them accordingly. 

Oregon is followed by Massachusetts (2), Maine (3), Illinois (4), and Colorado (5). For 2024, North Dakota holds the bottom of the rankings in 50th place for the second year in a row, with Alabama (49), Idaho (48), Kentucky (47), and Mississippi (46) rounding out the states with the weakest animal protection laws.

Maine earned its third-place ranking because state lawmakers have led the way in passing important animal protection measures. For example, Maine has some of the most comprehensive neglect laws in the country, with thorough definitions for the standards of care that guardians must provide to their animals. Additionally, Maine is one of just two states with a Courtroom Animal Advocate Program (CAAP) law, which permits the court to appoint an attorney to serve as a third-party advocate in animal cruelty cases to voice the interests of the animal victim. Even in Maine, there is room for improvement; for example, there are several important sentencing measures that are currently left up to the court’s discretion rather than mandated, including restitution for abused animals’ costs of care, and psychological evaluations for convicted animal cruelty offenders.  

A new trend highlighted in the report is laws including animal cruelty in definitions of “coercive control.” Abusers will often threaten or harm companion animals as a way of controlling and intimidating their human victims. It is vital that the law recognize this link so that both humans and animals can access the resources they need to get to safety, such as obtaining domestic violence protection orders. This year, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont all added animal cruelty to their definitions of “coercive control.” 

“There is a large gap between the legal protections for animals that people think exist — or think should exist — and the laws that are actually on the books,” says ALDF Senior Staff Attorney Kathleen Wood. “Regardless of rank, every state and territory has room for improvement. Our Rankings Report highlights the ways each of these jurisdictions can strengthen their laws to ensure that all animals receive the protections they need and deserve.” 

The rankings track which states are taking animal protection seriously and are based on a comprehensive review of each jurisdiction’s animal protection laws, including over 3,600 pages of statutes.

The full report, including details about each state, is available at www.aldf.org/staterankings.