20 U.S. States that Lead the Nation in Animal Cruelty

Animal cruelty is very real, and it’s very common. It’s sad to say, but there are many people that feel that neglect and abuse of animals is perfectly acceptable since animals are not ‘people,’ and therefore it’s not a big deal. But the fact of the matter is that animal abuse is a big deal. Take a look at NFL star Michael Vick, who spent time in prison because of his illegal dog fighting ring; the nation does not stand for animal cruelty and those who engaged in this reprehensible behavior will be punished to the full extent of the law. With that in mind, there are some places in which animal cruelty is so bad that it’s unbelievable. There is no way to know how many animals are abused in any city or state, but we can tell you which states are most dangerous for animals based on the lax animal abuse laws. Read on to find out which states are the worst for animal neglect and cruelty.

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Pennsylvania

Animal abuse laws here are among the least efficient in the country. In most cases, the state will remove animals from the premise and report them to a shelter with instructions not to allow the animal to return to its owners should they attempt to claim them. But most people here are not prosecuted and punished for their animal cruelty because state laws are so lenient that there is little repercussion in place for those who do not treat animals with kindness.

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Georgia

Despite the fact that Michael Vick was running a large dog fighting ring in his home in Atlanta, there are very few abuse laws in place for animals and the people who hurt them in Georgia. Vick’s conviction was due more so to the fact that he is a famous figure and a ‘role model’ for young athletes and his wrongdoings were made so public that the state had to do something to make an example of his poor and disgusting behavior. Otherwise, laws here are quite lax.

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Kentucky

It’s just not the big deal here that it is in other places to abuse an animal. It’s sad and unfortunate in a number of manners, but it seems that the people who live here are just not going to be punished for their behavior should they attempt to harm an animal. Even animals that are considered household pets are less protected than they are in many other areas of the country, and it’s not good news for those who have pets they love and care for.

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North Dakota

In North Dakota cities, animal cruelty laws are very lax in many areas. In fact, they are so lax that it’s often impossible to tell whether or not animals are being treated fairly when they are rescued. However, given the lax laws it’s considerably worse to be an animal in any city in this state than it is anywhere else in the country. North Dakota animals are simply not protected in any way, and it’s because legislation does not allow for it.

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Iowa

In Iowa, there are no laws that protect animals from things like neglect, abandonment or even sexual assault. There are no laws in place that will protect the overall welfare of household pets. The biggest law that Iowa has in effect for animals in households is against animal fighting. What is sad about this is that fighting almost seems like the least of an animal’s problems if the state isn’t protecting them from sexual acts or worse.

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South Dakota

Among one of the most dangerous states in the country for pets, those who reside in South Dakota are not protected from even basic rights against animal cruelty. Most people who abuse animals in this state are not tried, prosecuted or even slapped on the wrist for basic animal cruelty, which is almost unheard of and completely disgusting. State law, however, has not made any provisions to help protect animals. While some states across the country and making better laws for animals, South Dakota is not one of them.

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New Mexico

In New Mexico there are some laws that are in place to protect animals, but they’re very limited. For example, one law is that animals are protected against fighting by making it a felony, but they’re only protected if they are fighting certain animals. This means the Michael Vick’s of New Mexico can pick and choose animals to fight so that they can remain within the confines of legal law, which is about as disgusting as it gets in any state across the country.

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Wyoming

Wyoming law is very negligent when it comes to the protection and safety of household pets. There are more laws for farm animals than pets, and it’s probably because the state is a big farm state. However, household pets have rights, too, and lawmakers here simply have not gotten with the program to provide the utmost protection to animals that are so usually helpless against the humans mistreating them in so many manners. Officials have tried to pass laws in the past that have been passed and some have failed, but they do not seem to introduce many on a regular basis.

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Mississippi

One of the good things about the fact that Mississippi is on this list is that they’re making vast improvements to their animal laws, and they’re making them very quickly. For example, over the course of the past few years, animal cruelty laws and protections have increased by 78%. They still have a long way to go in terms of keeping household pets safe from danger and cruelty, but the consideration is there and lawmakers are well aware of the fact that more improvements are needed. Steps might not be large, but they’re being taken.

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South Carolina

Unfortunately, South Carolina law does not provide any emphasis on the protection of animals. Millions of animal abuse cases are reported each year, and professionals estimate millions more are left unreported. After all, most people won’t even call the law if they suspect a neighbor is being abused, let alone an animal. Most people are quite happy to mind their own business, and that’s why so many cases of animal neglect, cruelty and abuse go unnoticed each year in this particular state.

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New Jersey

New Jersey has a high crime rate associated with the treatment of animals, and it’s not impressive. There are more animals mistreated here than just about anywhere else in the country, and it probably has a lot to do with the fact that so many of the animals here are unprotected by legislature. The people of New Jersey seem to be a bit less concerned with animal welfare and safety than others across the country, and it proves bad news for household pets in the area.

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Hawaii

Hawaiian law is quite strict when it comes to bringing animals onto the islands. Since the islands are so small and it’s highly likely that people will become sick, or other animals will become sick if there is an outbreak of any kind, officials regulate animals for a long period of time. They house them for weeks, months sometimes, to ensure that they do not have any diseases, but they’re less caring about the welfare of animals being abused, neglected and uncared for.

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Utah

Utah laws are interesting in that they do very little to protect animals from abuse. Almost every single household has at least one pet, and there is very little that the state will do to protect those animals from abuse. When an animal is removed from a home due to abuse, neglect or cruelty, it is simply taken to a shelter. The people who are doing the abusing are typically given a warning not to do it again, but they are not prevented, in many cases, from actually getting another animal in the future if they choose to do so.

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Alaska

While it’s still one of the most dangerous states in the country for animal abuse, it’s making some improvements. In 2012, Alaska lawmakers added some very specific laws to protect animals from repeated abuse. What this means is that animals who are unlawfully abused more than once will be protected from their owners and their owners will be tried for criminal activity against their animals. However, this is virtually the only law worth mentioning in the state that does protect animals.

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Alabama

Much like Alaska, Alabama officials have made a concentrated effort in the past few years to better protect animals, but more action is needed desperately. It’s still one of the most dangerous states in which animals can reside, and their protection is very limited. Fortunately, lawmakers are making changes, slowly, that will help protect more and more household pets as time goes on. Hopefully the state will make quicker decisions and improved choices in the near future.

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Idaho

Animals in Idaho are not protected from animal cruelty as well as they are in other states, which is why cities in this state report more abuse to animals than just about any other city across the country. It’s not uncommon for those abusing animals to be let go without much more than just a warning since so few acts of neglect and mistreatment are considered illegal or punishable by law in any way, shape or form. It’s just sad in so many ways that the government will step into so many situations in which it is not wanted, but not bother with those that most needs its attention.

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Connecticut

Many of the cities in Connecticut are affluent, and that would lead one to expect that the animals here are treated quite well, unless you count dressing up a small lap dog in designer clothes cruel. But the fact of the matter is that animals being abused here simply are not protected as they should be protected by the laws in place by the officials in the area. It’s a sad state of affairs for animals in Connecticut. Laws with stricter penalties for those who abuse animals are needed desperately in this area, but it does not appear that many areas around Connecticut are in any hurry to pass those laws.

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New York

It’s not uncommon to see homeless, neglected, abused animals wandering the streets of New York. But those dogs are probably a lot better off than the ones in homes with people who are abusing them. So many animals here are mistreated and neglected, abused, fought and punished in ways that are not acceptable to any living creature. Unfortunately, there is little law officials can to do to protect these animals when they are mistreated and abused thanks to the fact that they are limited by the confines of the law.

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Missouri

Missouri household pets are not protected well against many laws. While there are some in place to cover the bases, few cases are actually tried in this area. Many of the cities here do not adopt the same laws as others across the country, which means the animals in this area of the country are mistreated on a level not permitted in other states. People that abuse animals around Missouri do so because they not punished by law and they will not face any discipline for engaging in this activity, even if they are caught doing it on multiple occasions. Animals are typically just removed from the home in these instances.

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Maryland

Maryland really does rank quite high in terms of animal abuse. More animals are abused here that are reported to law officials than almost any other state in the country. With the riots currently happening in Baltimore, on top of that, it seems almost like it’s not a surprise that people would be unkind to their animals. They haven’t even the human decency to be kind to one another at the moment, so we can only assume based on their treatment of other human beings how bad some might be to their animals.

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