Oregon Ranked Third Best State for Animal Protection Laws

Contact: media@aldf.org

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — For first time, Maine ranks as the top state for animal protection laws according to the annual U.S. Animal Protection Laws Rankings Report published by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the nation’s preeminent legal advocacy organization for animals.

The longest-running and most authoritative report of its kind, the 15^th annual year-end Rankings Report (2020) assesses the relative strengths and weaknesses of each U.S. state’s and territory’s animal protection laws and ranks them accordingly.

Thanks to its new Courtroom Animal Advocate Program, Maine takes first place — followed by Illinois (2), Oregon (3), Colorado (4), and Rhode Island (5). This year New Mexico sunk to 50^th place, followed by Wyoming (49), Idaho (48), Mississippi (47), and Alabama (46) rounding out states with the weakest animal protection laws.

Oregon earned its third place ranking because state lawmakers have led the way in passing important animal protection measures. For example, the sexual assault of an animal is a sex offense under Oregon law, and the sexual assault statute is adequately defined and addresses related crimes. State law provides for increased penalties for cases involving multiple animals, as well as for repeat animal abusers, repeat domestic violence offenders and when abuse is committed in the presence of a minor. Protective orders may include animals, pre-conviction forfeiture of animals is allowed, and the law requires mandatory reporting of suspected aggravated animal cruelty by veterinarians. Civilians in Oregon have civil immunity for rescuing animals trapped in unattended vehicles. Even in Oregon there is room for improvement, as the law currently has no felony provision for abandonment, and non-animal agencies and departments are not required to report suspected animal cruelty.

A continuing trend over the past several years is laws regarding possession bans, a sentencing measure in which courts prohibit convicted offenders from owning or residing in the same household as an animal. This year, four states created or strengthened their possession ban statutes. A new trend in 2020 was stronger laws relating to necessary shelter for animals. This year, four states amended their laws to provide greater detail for what kind of shelter guardians must provide to protect their animals from the elements and inclement weather.   

“Even in the tumultuous year that was 2020, we saw enormous strides being made to better protect animals, including several jurisdictions completely overhauling their animal cruelty laws,” says Animal Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Stephen Wells. “The Animal Legal Defense Fund is proud that our comprehensive annual Rankings Report serve as a valuable tool for legislators, who use them to thoroughly examine and strengthen their states’ animal protection laws.“ 

The rankings are based on a comprehensive review of each jurisdiction’s animal protection laws, including over 3,000 pages of statutes. This is the longest-running and most authoritative report of its kind and tracks which states are taking animal protection seriously.

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