Rhode Island Ranked Fifth 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.

Rhode Island earned its fifth place ranking because state lawmakers have led the way in passing important animal protection measures. For example, Rhode Island requires convicted offenders to pay for the costs of caring for seized animals. The state also explicitly permits courts to order psychological evaluation and treatment for convicted offenders and requires courts to prohibit convicted offenders from possessing or residing with an animal for a specified period of time. The state also has thorough definitions for the quality and quantity of food, water, and veterinary care that guardians are required to provide to their animals. Even in Rhode Island there is room for improvement, as its sexual assault of animals law is antiquated and therefore difficult to enforce.

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.