Some animals are tortured by their owners. Others are abandoned or killed. These trends have caused the rise of “animal rescue” efforts across the country. The ASPCA says 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted each year. Of course, that does not help the countless numbers that are used in medical experiments while others are slaughtered for their fur. PETA puts the number of animals used for research at “millions.”
To gauge the problem across the world, The Swiftest has issued its Animal Rights Index for 2021. It examines the best and worst countries for animal rights from a universe of 65 countries.
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The ratings take into account a broad number of factors. The author wrote:
I utilized nine key factors including things like recognition of animal sentience and suffering, whether fur farming is banned, laws against animal cruelty and even meat consumption per capita to name a few data points.
In particular, these factors were:
- Recognition of animal sentience (which Merriam-Webster defines as “feeling or sensation as distinguished from perception and thought”)
- Recognition of animal suffering
- Laws against animal cruelty (which likely vary widely in terms of punishment)
- National fur farm bans
- Support for what the study describes as a “universal recognition of the United Declaration of Animal Welfare”
- Meat consumption per capita
- Percentage of protected areas
- Pesticide use per hectare (which is 2.5 acres)
- An environmental performance index rating
Each of the 65 countries is given a score with what the study calls an animal rights index. This index is used to create a grade from A to F.
The country with the worst score by far was China at 12.46 and a grade of F. By way of contrast, Luxembourg ranked first with a score of 519.68 and a grade of A.
China’s last-place spot was followed by Vietnam with a score of 45.24 and Iran with a score of 71.40. Both receive a grade of F as well.
Click here to read about the official pets and animals of each state.
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