State Animal Protection Laws Ranked: Oregon is #1, North Dakota #50

Contact: media@aldf.org

SAN FRANCISCO — The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), the nation’s preeminent legal advocacy organization for animals, has released the 19th annual U.S. State Animal Protection Laws Ranking Report (2024), ranking the animal protection laws of all 50 states.

2024 U.S. State Animal Protection Laws Ranking Report

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Oregon has claimed the top rank in animal protection laws for the second year in a row — 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.

The most-improved jurisdiction in 2024 was South Carolina, which rose seven places in rank, from 47th to 40th place, by establishing a “bond-or-forfeit” procedure for seized animals. Bond-or-forfeit laws, which now exist in 40 of the 50 states, are a remedial measure to help alleviate the financial burden on cities and counties caring for animals who have been seized pursuant to an animal cruelty case. Criminal cases can drag on for months or even years. During that time, the animal victims are often left in legal limbo, being cared for by a local city or county shelter while still technically being the property of the defendant. The costs of caring for these animals accumulate quickly, especially if the animals require extensive veterinary treatment to recover from their neglect or abuse. Bond-or-forfeit laws resolve this issue by requiring the defendant to either post a bond covering the costs of caring for the animal or forfeit their property interest in the animal so they can be adopted out into a new, loving home.  

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 are based on a comprehensive review of each jurisdiction’s animal protection laws, including over 3,600 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 www.aldf.org/staterankings.