PA slides to near bottom in animal law rankings
A national group has released its annual list of animal protection laws, highlighting the top five states "to be an animal abuser." Wyoming, Iowa, Kentucky, Utah and New Mexico have the weakest animal cruelty laws, according to a new report released by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF). And rounding out the bottom tier in the rankings of 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and U.S. territories? Pennsylvania.
· - Requirements of care are not well-defined
- Lack of a reckless endangerment law
- No felony penalty for neglect or abandonment of an animal
- Protective order statute does not explicitly allow for the inclusion of animal victims in domestic violence protective orders
- Courts are not required to prohibit convicted offenders from future animal possession
- Veterinarians are not required to report animal cruelty
- Sexual assault of an animal is not a felony offense