Maine’s animal welfare and safety legal guidelines once more rank first in nation

For the second consecutive 12 months, Maine has been listed as the highest state for animal welfare and safety legal guidelines, in response to a report by the Animal Authorized Protection Fund.

The fund’s year-end rating report is organized into three tiers: high, center and backside, and determines the effectiveness of animal welfare laws in every state.

Within the high tier, Maine ranks first out of fifteen, adopted by Illinois, Oregon and Colorado.

Maine earned the highest spot as a result of state lawmakers have led the best way in passing vital animal safety measures, in response to info launched by the Animal Authorized Protection Fund. For instance, care necessities, akin to meals, water and shelter are clearly outlined beneath state legislation. Courts may additionally require convicted offenders to endure psychological well being evaluations or therapy, and safety orders could embrace animals.

The laws’s effectiveness is in Mainers’ efforts to implement it, steered partially by the state’s many pet homeowners, animal lovers and others who work with animals.

“You will need to care about animal welfare laws as a result of robust legal guidelines defend animals by addressing the foundation causes of cruelty and may drive change that may make our communities higher — for animals and folks,” mentioned Katie Hansberry, the senior state director of state affairs in Maine for the Humane Society of the US. “Whereas direct care companies reply to at present’s cruelties, legislative and coverage work stop tomorrow’s.”

Primarily based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, the Humane Society of the US oversees higher look after animals in disaster by lobbying in opposition to merciless practices, akin to these reportedly used within the fur commerce and animal cosmetics.

Hansberry is now lobbying for the approval of LD 1744, An Act To Improve Funding for the Animal Welfare Fund of the Division of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, which goals to implement animal cruelty legal guidelines throughout the state and improve compensation charges for shelters caring for seized animals.

In Maine, postconviction forfeiture of an animal shouldn’t be required for all animal cruelty crimes, and convicted offenders usually are not mandated to pay the price of caring for his or her seized animals.

“The state of Maine has positioned itself to be a frontrunner in animal welfare, due to our means to collaborate as animal welfare advocates, in addition to collaborating with our legislators to get these protections in place for animals who want them,” mentioned Patsy Murphy, government director of the Animal Refuge League of Larger Portland.

“We offer help and we educate the neighborhood about animal welfare points impacting us as a collective state.”

The Animal Refuge League is a short lived shelter that seeks to fight animal neglect, abuse and overpopulation by way of neighborhood advocacy and prioritization of an animal’s high quality of life.

“In Maine, animals are seen as members of the family, they’re valued and they’re cherished (as) a part of the integral household unit,” Murphy mentioned. “Many households have multi-species households, which can also be a extremely cool illustration of the kindness and the compassion that made folks have.”

The APPA Nationwide Pet House owners Survey, a biennial examine carried out by the American Pet Merchandise Affiliation, has decided 70% of households personal a pet, which equates to about 90 million folks.

A separate examine, by the American Veterinary Medical Affiliation, discovered half of Maine’s inhabitants are pet homeowners, with cat homeowners at 43.6%.

Katie Lisnik, government director of the Larger Androscoggin Humane Society, was appointed to the Animal Welfare Advisory Council in October 2021. She was requested to assist with efforts to accommodate the wants of licensed animal shelters by guaranteeing easy software of latest laws and selling academic applications they’ve enacted.

“I’m representing not simply myself,” Lisnik mentioned. “There are well-funded organizations and there are shelters positioned in rural areas which have only a few employees members that actually depend on volunteer time, so I’m making an attempt to check out proposed laws and take into consideration what is required for the state from that extra holistic standpoint.

“It’s not simply the bigger shelters. It’s additionally excited about how the small locations are going to be impacted by the adjustments in coverage, and how one can finest help them.”

To be taught extra concerning the work that these organizations are doing in Maine and what you are able to do to assist, go to the Division of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry’s web site — www.maine.gov/dacf/ahw/animal_welfare/shelters.shtml — for a listing shelters and amenities. 

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