TWhen it comes to animal protection and welfare laws, the United States is clearly lagging behind other countries, receiving a ‘D’ grade which is worse than Mexico, India, Malaysia, Poland and others.
Image Credit: 9883074/Pixabay
When it comes to animal protection and welfare laws, the United States is
clearly lagging behind other countries, receiving a ‘D’ grade from World
Animal Protection, which is worse than Mexico, India, Malaysia, Poland and
others.
The non-profit organization’s Animal Protection Index assesses and compares
countries’ animal legislation and standard practices using a number of
important indicators. These countries are ranked from strongest (A) to
weakest (G).
“No country received an ‘A’ grade, and the United States fell short again,
ranking below Mexico and India,” the nonprofit commented. “The United States
has not increased its ‘D’ ranking since 2014.”
The worst ratings for the United States include: protecting animals used in
farming (E), protecting the welfare of wild animals (E), and protecting
companion animals (F).
While the index does cite a few fundamental federal animal protection laws
in the United States – such as the Animal Welfare Act, the Horse Protection
Act and the Humane Slaughter Act – it also stresses that the country has a
long way to go.
“Notably, there is a clear lack of federal protection for animals, since the
Animal Welfare Act (1966) does not apply to birds, rats and mice used for
research, horses used for research, and farm animals,” World Animal
Protection said. “There is no federal legislation protecting farm animals
during the rearing phase. Plus, the Humane Slaughter Act does not apply to
poultry or fish.”
“The US Department of Agriculture has removed public access to thousands of
reports documenting the numbers of animals kept by research laboratories,
companies, zoos, circuses and animal transporters and whether those animals
are being treated humanely in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act
(1966),” the nonprofit continued. “Furthermore, cruel practices such as fur
farming and various uses of animals for entertainment purposes are allowed
in the United States.”
We need to make our voices heard to urge America to strengthen its animal
welfare laws. Treating animals worse than developing nations is
unacceptable. The United States has plenty of resources available to ensure
the humane treatment of its animals and needs to set a better example for
the world.
Number of animals killed in the world by the fishing, meat, dairy and egg industries, since you opened this webpage.
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