DES MOINES — A new study is shining a spotlight on the inadequacy of Iowa’s welfare laws, according to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) found Iowa is 49th in the country in this category. Mississippi ranked worse at 50th.
The ALDF shared why Iowa ranked so low:
- No felony provisions for first offense cruelty to animals, except for fighting
- Felony animal abuse provisions available only for second or subsequent offenses against select species
- No felony neglect or abandonment provisions
- Inadequate definitions/standards of basic care
At the federal level, the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Prevention Act (PACT) was passed into law last November. It makes animal cruelty a federal felony, but is not a “blanket” law that would cover all cases in Iowa.
Instead, it would include animal cruelty cases committed on federal property or through interstate commerce. One example is bestiality rings.
The ARL said Iowa’s ranking could improve with passage of the Companion Animal Cruelty Bill at the statehouse. The Iowa House overwhelmingly passed it, and is being considered by the Senate.
