Having sex with an animal is one step closer to being banned in Ohio after the state Senate unanimously approved an anti-bestiality bill.

The proposal must now pass through the Ohio House of Representatives for it to become law.

The ruling will “prohibit a person from engaging in sexual conduct with an animal” and require an offender to undergo “psychological evaluation or counselling”.

Ohio is one of a dozen US states that does not have a law banning bestiality.

Jim Hughes, a state Senator, branded the lack of a law “sickening” in an earlier interview with TV station WHIO.

“We don’t want Ohio to be the place you can come and have sex with an animal,” he said.

The bill has gained the support of various animal welfare groups.

Sharon Harvey, CEO of the Cleveland Animal Protective League, told Cleveland.com there were a “number of chat room-type groups” that sexually abused animals.

"I applaud the bill's sponsors for bringing up this difficult subject. This act in and of itself needs to be against the law,” she said.

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The bill comes just months after Canada’s Supreme Court announced most sex acts with animals are legal. The controversial ruling was met with outrage by animal rights groups.

Camille Labchuk, executive director of organisation Animal Justice, told The Independent: "As of today, Canadian law gives animal abusers license to use animals for their own sexual gratification.

"This is completely unacceptable, contrary to societal expectations, and cannot be allowed to continue.”

All the US states were bestiality is still legal:

District of Columbia

Hawaii

Kentucky

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

Ohio

Texas

Vermont

West Virginia