Animal rights by country or territory
Rights affecting non-human animals vary greatly by country or jurisdiction — encompassing everything from the legal recognition of non-human animal sentience to the absolute lack of any anti-cruelty laws with no regard for animal welfare.
Notably, as of 2019, 32 countries formally recognize non-human animal sentience, they are: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
It has been proposed that the United Nations 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. 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. 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.
In 2009, Bolivia became the first country to ban all animal use in circuses. The United States of America is the only country in the world that has banned killing horses for consumption, and India is the only country to have banned killing cows for consumption in some of its states.
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.
Global animal rights maps
;GeneralWorld laws pertaining to animal sentience |
World laws on animal cruelty |
Animal rights at the UN |
;Food production
World laws on battery cages |
World laws on beak trimming |
World laws on killing cats for consumption |
World laws on killing cattle for consumption |
World laws on chick culling |
World laws on killing dogs for consumption |
World laws on foie gras production |
World laws on killing horses for consumption |
World laws on shark fishing |
World laws on stunning animals during ritual slaughter |
;Clothing and cosmetics
World laws on killing animals for fur |
World laws on cosmetic animal testing |
;Entertainment
World laws on bullfighting |
World laws on cockfighting |
World laws on dog fighting |
Laws banning the use of animals in circuses |
World laws on goose pulling |
Legality of zoophilia by country or territory |
;Other
Legality of primate use in scientific research |
Principal laws on animal rights
Individual countries
- Animal welfare and rights in Argentina
- Animal welfare and rights in Australia
- Animal welfare and rights in Austria
- Animal welfare and rights in Azerbaijan
- Animal welfare and rights in Brazil
- Animal welfare and rights in China
- Animal rights in Colombia
- Animal welfare and rights in Denmark
- Animal welfare in Egypt
- Animal welfare and rights in Ethiopia
- Animal welfare and rights in France
- Animal welfare and rights in Germany
- Animal welfare and rights in India
- Animal welfare and rights in Indonesia
- Animal welfare and rights in Iran
- Animal welfare and rights in Israel
- Animal rights in Italy
- Animal welfare and rights in Japan
- Animal welfare and rights in Malaysia
- Animal welfare and rights in Mexico
- Animal welfare and rights in the Netherlands
- Animal welfare in New Zealand
- Animal welfare and rights in Russia
- Animal welfare and rights in South Africa
- Animal welfare and rights in South Korea
- Animal welfare and rights in Spain
- Animal welfare and rights in Sweden
- Animal welfare and rights in Switzerland
- Animal welfare in Thailand
- Animal welfare in the United Kingdom
- Animal welfare in the United States