The original New Jersey Animal Cruelty Laws were adopted over 140 years ago, they are extremely antiquated and in desperate need of reform. Although many bills have been introduced, very little has been done to to improve the situation. A Animal Protection Laws Rankings Report issued in 2014 by Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) ranks New Jersey as 37th worst state for animal abuse laws. New Jerseyans are kind hearted people and these laws do not represent our principals. It's time for New Jersey legislators to make a stand for abused and neglected animals.

As per the report, the states that have experienced significant improvement in their animal protection laws have accomplished the follwing:

• Expanding the range of protections for animals
• Providing stiffer penalties for offenders
• Strengthening standards of care for animals
• Reporting of animal cruelty cases by veterinarians and other professionals
• Mitigating and recovering costs associated with the care of mistreated animals
• Requiring mental health evaluations and counseling for offenders
• Banning ownership of animals following convictions
• Including animals in domestic violence protective orders
• Prohibiting convicted abusers from gaining employment involving animal contact
• Strengthening provisions on the sale and possession of exotic animals
• Including animal fighting as a RICO (racketeering) offense
• Expanding humane officers’ powers to be the same as other peace officers

We demand that our legislators thoughtfully analyze the improvements done by other states and apply similar standards here in NJ. Bring New Jersey to the top 5 best states for animal protection law.

Photo by Rough Road Rescue, Inc.