Animal rights by country or territory

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Animal rights vary greatly among countries and territories. Such laws range from the legal recognition of non-human animal sentience to the absolute lack of any anti-cruelty laws, with no regard for animal welfare.

As of November 2019, 32 countries have formally recognized non-human animal sentience. These are: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.^{[citation needed]} It has been proposed that the United Nations (UN) pass the first resolution recognizing animal rights, the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare, which acknowledges the importance of the sentience of animals and human responsibilities towards them.^{[citation needed]}

The Great Ape Project is currently campaigning to have the United Nations endorse a World Declaration on Great Apes, which would extend to non-human great apes the protection of three basic interests: the right to life, the protection of individual liberty, and the prohibition of torture.^{[citation needed]} Six countries currently ban the use of great apes for scientific research, and Austria is the only country in the world to ban experiments on lesser apes.^{[citation needed]}

In 2009, Bolivia became the first country to banish animal abuse and harm in circuses.^[1] The United States of America is the only country in the world that has banned killing horses for consumption,^{[citation needed]} and India have banned killing cows for consumption in some of its states.^{[citation needed]}

Cow is the national animal of Nepal and cow slaughter is a punishable offense as per the prevailing law.

In 2014, the Jain pilgrimage destination of Palitana City in Indian state of Gujarat became the first city in the world to be legally vegetarian. It has banned buying and selling meat, fish, and eggs, as well as related jobs, such as fishing and animal farming.^[2][3][4][5]

Food production

World laws on battery cages

World laws on beak trimming

World laws on chick culling

World laws on foie gras production

World laws on stunning animals during ritual slaughter

Legal status of whaling

Clothing and cosmetics

World laws on cosmetic animal testing

Entertainment

World laws on bullfighting

World laws on cockfighting

World laws on dog fighting

World laws on dolphinariums / marine mammal captivity

Laws banning the use of animals in circuses

World laws on goose pulling

European Convention for the Protection of Animals during International Transport (1968 & 2003)

European Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes (1976)

European Convention for the Protection of Animals for Slaughter (1979)

Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (1979)

European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes (1986)

European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals (1987)

General Legislation

Country	Recognition of animal sentience	Recognition of animal suffering	Anti-cruelty laws meet OIE standards[10]	Any laws against animal cruelty	Support at the United Nations [a]
Algeria[11][12]	No	No	No	Yes -unenforced	No
Angola[13]	No	No	No	No	No
Argentina[14]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Australia[15]	Yes	Yes	Partial - varies internally	Yes	No
Austria[16]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partial - support from various internal departments
Azerbaijan[17]	No	No	No	No	No
Belarus[18]	No	No	No	No	No
Belgium[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Bosnia and Herzegovina[21]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Botswana[13]	No	No	No	Yes	No
Brazil[22]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bulgaria[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Cambodia[23][24]	No	No	No	No	Yes
Canada[25]	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Chile[26]	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
China[27]	No	No	No	No	No
Colombia[28]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Costa Rica[29][30]	No	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Yes
Croatia[20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	No
Cyprus[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Czech Republic[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Democratic Republic of Congo[13]	No	No	No	No	No
Denmark[31]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Food
Egypt[32][33][34]	No	Yes	No	Yes -unenforced	No
Eritrea[35]	No	No	No	No	No
Estonia[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Ethiopia[36]	No	No	No	Yes	No
Fiji[37][38]	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Finland[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
France[39]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Germany[40]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Greece[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Food
Hong Kong[41][42]	No	Yes	No	Yes	— (China responsible for foreign affairs)
Hungary[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
India[43]	No	Yes	No	Yes	Partial - support from the Animal Welfare Board
Indonesia[44]	Partial - mental health recognized	Yes	No	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Iran[45]	No	No	No	No	No
Ireland[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Italy[46]	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Japan[47]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Kazakhstan[48]	No	No	No	Yes	No
Kenya[49]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Latvia[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Lebanon[50][51]	Partial	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Lesotho[13]	No	No	No	Yes -unenforced	No
Lithuania[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Luxembourg[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Madagascar[13]	No	No	No	No	No
Malawi[13]	No	Yes	No	Yes - unenforced	No
Malaysia[52]	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Mali[53]	No	No	No	Yes	No
Malta[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Resources
Mauritius[13][54]	No	No	No	Yes	No
Mexico[55]	Partial - varies internally	Yes	No	Yes	No
Mongolia[56]	No	No	No	No	No
Morocco[57][58]	No	Yes	No	Yes -unenforced	No
Mozambique[13]	No	No	No	No	No
Myanmar[59]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Namibia[13]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
New Zealand[60]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Netherlands[61]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Niger[62]	No	Partial - domesticated animals only	No	Yes	No
North Korea[63]	No	No	No	Yes	No
Norway[64]	Partial - mental health recognized	Yes	No	Yes	No
Pakistan[65]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Paraguay[66]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Peru[67]	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Philippines[68][69]	Partial - mental health recognized	Yes	No	Yes	Partial - support from various internal departments
Poland[70]	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Portugal[19][20]	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Romania[71]	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Russia[72]	No	No	No	Yes	No
Saudi Arabia[73]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Seychelles[13][74]	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Singapore[19][20]	No	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Unknown
Slovakia[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Slovenia[19][20]	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
South Africa[75]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
South Korea[76]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Spain[77]	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Partial - support from the Minister for Agriculture
Swaziland[13]	No	Yes	No	Yes -unenforced	No
Sweden[78]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Switzerland[79]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tanzania[80]	Partial - some animals excluded	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Thailand[81]	No	Yes	No	Yes	Partial - support from various internal departments
Turkey[82]	Partial - mental health recognized	Yes	No	Yes	No
Ukraine[83]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
United Kingdom[84]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partial - support from various internal departments
United States[85]	Partial - varies internally	Yes	Partial - varies internally	Yes	Partial - support from various internal departments
Uruguay[86]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Venezuela[87]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Vietnam[88]	No	No	No	No	No
Zambia[13]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Zimbabwe[13]	No	Yes	No	Yes	No

• Human rights
• List of animal rights advocates
• List of international animal welfare conventions
• Overview of discretionary invasive procedures on animals