The Animal Legal Defense Fund published it's longest-running, most comprehensive report that tracks animal protection laws across the entire U.S. This year’s biggest trends included strengthening penalties for neglecting an animal (now a felony in six more states) and requiring that abusers reimburse those who care for cruelly treated animals—including Arizona, the most-improved jurisdiction in 2013.
The best five states for animal protection remained the same this year, with Oregon enacting a felony penalty for animal neglect and rising to the number two spot. North Dakota completely revamped its cruelty code to include a felony cruelty provision for the first time, and jumped out of the top states to abuse animals. South Dakota is now the only state that does not include a felony penalty for even the most heinous acts of cruelty.