Animal Rights

Animal Rights and Welfare, How Does your Country Rate

World Map with API rankings for countriesCredit: World Animal Protection

The latest Animal Protection Index (API) by the global charity World Animal Protection which ranks countries on their laws protecting animals, exposes the drastic need for global change.

In its second edition the API ranks 50 countries around the world according to their animal welfare policy and legislation from A (the highest score) to G (the lowest score).

This is a useful tool for animal rights activists and anyone willing to be an advocate for animals around the world. It covers animals protection and welfare in farming, in the wild, coping with disasters and in communities.

Shockingly, not one country has obtained an â€˜Aâ€™ grade. Sweden, the United Kingdom and Austria received the highest score with a â€˜Bâ€™. However, there is room for improvement in these countries too.

Some countries such as Morocco, Iran, Algeria, and Belarus were found to still be missing the basic legal framework needed to protect animals, and others like Canada do not formally recognize animal sentience in their existing legislation.

In preparing the updated index World Animal Protection assessed the animal welfare policies and legislation of 50 countries and identified a continued lack of adequate animal welfare laws in its second edition of the Animal Protection Index (API). The charity continues to push for urgent improvements worldwide.



This project, unique to World Animal Protection supports their lobbying efforts to promote stronger laws to better protect animals, worldwide



World Animal Protection worked with governments, Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs) and respective OIE delegates to verify that all the information included in each of the 50 country reports is correct. Each CVO of the 50 countries assessed in the API received the report prior to publication and was given one month to provide feedback. When relevant, the feedback given by CVOs was integrated within the final version of the country report, which is the one displayed on their website.

Access the API online tool here.