67 Best & Worst Countries For Animal Rights / Welfare

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The annual list of the best and worst countries across the planet for animal rights has been released. The countries are rated based on various welfare criteria and then given an overall rating based on those criteria. Let's take a look at what was considered when issuing these ratings!

RECOGNITION OF ANIMAL SENTIENCE

Recognition of animal sentience is of the utmost importance when it comes to animal welfare. Without the recognition of sentience, animal abuse is not held to the same standards and those convicted of abuse are not given appropriate punishments. Animals are sentient beings with complex emotional range and should be recognized as such. Shockingly, there are many countries who have yet to recognize the sentience of animals.

RECOGNITION OF ANIMAL SUFFERING

Recognizing that animals can suffer, feel pain, and should be treated humanely is shockingly not recognized in many countries across the globe. It couldn't be more evident that animals feel pain. Have you ever actually watched a video of the inner workings of a slaughterhouse? Cows are frantic, frightened, and in agony as they make their way to slaughter. Witnessing the fear on the face of an innocent animal is enough to recognize that they most definitely suffer.

LAWS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY

Each country is ranked on their current laws in place that protect animals. From animal cruelty convictions to abuse and neglect, what laws does each country have in place to protect animals and punish those that engage in animal cruelty?

NATIONAL FUR-FARMING BANS

Fur-farming is slowly but surely on the way out as more countries across our planet recognize the needless suffering of animals for fur. The list verifies each country's current fur-farming practices and issues a rating based on whether they've banned fur-farming, banned fur altogether, or have yet to do anything towards ending the fur-farming industry.

SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF ANIMAL WELFARE

An inter-governmental agreement that animals are sentient and deserve to be protected. Actively working against needless cruelty and suffering and working towards better welfare across the globe. 

MEAT CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA

Every day, more news emerges about the disastrous effects of the factory farming industry and the environmental damage the industry is causing. How much meat per capita each country consumes is in direct correlation to the environmental disaster we are currently embroiled in.

PERCENTAGE OF PROTECTED AREAS

Designating habitats as protected ensures that endangered species remain protected along with their habitat. Many ecosystems across our planet are in peril due to wildfires, oil-drilling, climate-change, and logging. It's imperative to protect the land from further destruction.

PESTICIDE USAGE PER HECTARE OF CROPLAND

Pesticide use is linked to so many health issues not to mention the damage it causes our environment and wild animals. Honey bees particularly have been affected by pesticides. A rating is given to each country based on how much / how little pesticide is used on crops.

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDEX SCORE

A rating is issued based on environmental performance which includes contributions to net-zero initiatives, current emissions, and environmental targets being met. Where do the countries stand on their commitment to a cleaner future?

TOP 5

BOTTOM 5

1. Luxembourg 519.68 / 600 --- Grade A
2. UK 506.36 / 600 --- Grade A
3. Austria 501.73 / 600 --- Grade A
4. Czechia 498.66 / 600 --- Grade A-
5. Belgium 488.86 / 600 --- Grade A-

63. Belarus 105.65 / 600 --- Grade F
64. Azerbaijan 73.07 / 600 --- Grade F
65. Iran 71.40 / 600 --- Grade F
66. Vietnam 45.24 / 600 --- Grade F
​67. China 12.46 / 600 --- Grade F

To get into the top 5, these countries all recognize the suffering and sentience of animals in their laws, have banned the production of fur, have laws in place that are anti-cruelty, and have made a partial commitment to the support for international declaration of animal welfare. All 5 countries performed at the top of the environmental performance index and all but Belgium received the highest score for their limited use of harmful pesticides. 

The bottom 5 is rather unsurprising. China is notoriously one of the worst places in the world to be an animal. Live animals have been fed to predatory animals in zoos while patrons watch the frightened prey animals get torn apart. There are absolutely no animal welfare standards at all as wet markets continue to spread disease and perpetuate animal suffering. All 5 of the bottom countries have no recognition of animal sentience or suffering, have no laws that target animal cruelty, and all but one have absolutely no laws against the production of fur. Lastly, they all failed in their environmental impact scores. 

WHERE DOES CANADA STAND?

#34 359.53 / 600 --- Grade C+
Where do we continue to go wrong?
Canada has a rather hypocritical stance on animal welfare in that we often say the right things but our actions do not correlate. We banned the captivity of cetaceans but allowed those already in captivity to remain. What kind of a message does this send? The whole reason this law came to be was the recognition of the suffering of cetaceans forced in to captivity? How does allowing places like Marine Land to continue to profit off of cetacean captivity send the message that we're committed to animal welfare?

Our animal welfare laws have remained largely untouched since they came to fruition. In fact, it was only within the past 3 years that beastiality included all forms of inappropriate conduct with animals. We continue to participate in the gruesome annual seal hunt despite years of activism to end the barbaric activity. We continue to test on animals and have yet to ban the production of fur despite overwhelming support to end the fur industry in our country. We scored well on our environmental performance and usage of pesticides but fell behind in our designated protected areas and meat consumption per capita.

Canada has a very long way to go if we ever intend to break in to the top ten. We need an end to the fur industry first and foremost. Fur is disgusting and there are plenty of high-fashion brands in the past few years that have banned fur in their future lines along with countries that have banned fur altogether. Our participation in the seal hunt is another major stain on our animal welfare record as the hunt if gruesome and animalistic in nature. 

Where does your country stand on the index? Are you surprised by the top 5 / bottom 5 entries? Check out the link at the top of the post to get the entire list and learn more about how each country is scored. 

HAPPY VEG