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RANKINGS IN REVIEW

State Anti-Cruelty Laws

Kathleen Wood

Animal Legal Defense Fund

Criminal Justice Program

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Rankings summary

• 2006-present

• 50 states + 6 inhabited territories

• Focus on criminal animal cruelty laws

• Does not consider enforcement

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Full report

https://aldf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2019-Animal-Protection-US-State-Laws-Rankings-Report.pdf

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Methodology: Compendium

https://aldf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Animal-Protection-Laws-of-Oregon-2019.pdf

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THIS IS A TITLEMethodology: summary

• 3400+ pages of statutes

• Updated annually based on tracking legislation, and checking each individual statute for updates

• 19 categories (mirroring Compendium organization)

• 49 study questions, close-ended, choices exhaustive and mutually exclusive

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Methodology: 2018 Revamping

• 5 new categories: • Definition of “Animal”

• Courtroom Animal Advocate Programs

• Hot Cars

• Civil Nuisance Abatement

• Breed-Specific Legislation

• Changes to scoring metrics: emphasis on species-inclusivity, added nuance to improve accuracy

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Website features

https://aldf.org/project/us-state-rankings/

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Website features: state page

https://aldf.org/project/us-state-rankings-oregon/

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Website features: Bullet point strengths and weaknesses

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Website features: Trend maps

https://aldf.org/project/veterinary-reporting/

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2019 Rankings: Most-improved

• New Hampshire• 19th → 14th

• Mandatory possession ban, ban animal fighting paraphernalia, post-seizure hearings

• Montana• 43rd → 37th

• “Bond-or-forfeit” now mandatory, seizure without arrest

• Honorable mention: Maine• 3rd → 4th

• Mandatory possession bans (including pre-trial possession bans), expanded crime of giving drugs to animals, court calendar priority when animals are in custody

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2019 Rankings: Trends

• 5 more states created or strengthened their possession ban statutes this year

• 12 in the past 2 years

https://aldf.org/project/post-conviction-possession-ban/

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2019 Rankings: Trends

• 4 states defined and banned possession/sale of animal fighting paraphernalia

• New Jersey added factors jury can consider to determine is something is fighting paraphernalia

https://aldf.org/project/laws-against-animal-fighting-paraphernalia/

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Kentucky not ranked last!

• First time in 13 years • Now 47th place• New sexual assault of animals law, includes mandatory possession

ban and psychological counselling • Mississippi is now ranked last

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Questions?