Dogs

2012 Humane State Rankings

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Jan 28, 2013

Alamy/Yathin S Krishnappa/Wikimedia

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The Humane Society of the United States has released their annual Humane State Ranking. The list takes a look at which states are doing the most to protect their animals. The report and ranking of the 50 states (and Washington, D.C.) is based on the animal protection laws in place in each state and different animal protection issues, including animal cruelty codes, equine protection standards, wildlife issues, animals in research and farm animal policy. Read on to see who ranked the best — and the worst — and to see how your state ranks on the list.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Ranking: 51

Score: 14%

State Animal: Coyote
Alamy/Darrell Dodds/Wikimedia

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IDAHO

Ranking: 50

Score: 19%

State Animal: Appaloosa Horse
Alamy/NASA

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MISSISSIPPI

Ranking: 49

Score: 20%

State Animal: Bottlenose Dolphin
Alamy/Wikimedia

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NORTH DAKOTA

Ranking: 48

Score: 22%

State Animal: Nokota Horse
Alamy/lwctoys/Wikimedia

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SOUTH CAROLINA

Ranking : 47

Score: 24%

State Animal: White-tailed Deer
Alamy/PierreSelim/Wikimedia

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KENTUCKY

Ranking: 46

Score: 25%

State Animal: Gray Squirrel
Alamy/USFWS

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ALABAMA

Ranking: 45

Score: 27%

State Animal: Black Bear
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WYOMING

Ranking: 44

Score: 28%

State Animal: American Buffalo
Alamy/Wikipedia

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ARKANSAS

Ranking: 43

Score: 29%

State Animal: White-tailed Deer
Alamy/Wikimedia

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UTAH

Ranking: 41

Score: 31%

State Animal: Rocky Mountain Elk
Alamy/MuleGirl/Wikimedia

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MISSOURI

Ranking: 41

Score: 31%

State Animal: Missouri Mule
Alamy/Wikipedia

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ALASKA

Ranking: 38

Score: 32%

State Animal: Moose
Alamy/Greg Hume/Wikimedia

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WEST VIRGINIA

Ranking: 38

Score: 32%

State Animal: Black Bear
Alamy/Wikipedia

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NORTH CAROLINA

Ranking: 38

Score: 32%

State Animal: Gray Squirrel
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MONTANA

Ranking: 35

Score: 35%

State Animal: Grizzly Bear
Alamy/Kent Backman/Wikimedia

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HAWAII

Ranking: 35

Score: 35%

State Animal: Hawaiian Monk Seal
Alamy/Wikipedia

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INDIANA

Ranking: 35

Score: 35%

State Animal: Cardinal
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WISCONSIN

Ranking: 34

Score: 36%

State Animal: Dairy Cow
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KANSAS

Ranking: 33

Score: 38%

State Animal: American Buffalo
Wikimedia/Alamy

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GEORGIA

Ranking: 32

Score: 39%

State Animal: Right Whale
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MINNESOTA

Ranking: 30

Score: 40%

State Animal: Gopher
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OKLAHOMA

Ranking: 30

Score: 40%

National Animal: American Buffalo
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TEXAS

Ranking: 28

Score: 41%

State Animal: Texas Longhorn
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NEW MEXICO

Ranking: 28

Score: 41%

State Animal: American Black Bear
Alamy/Wikipedia

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OHIO

Ranking: 27

Score: 42%

State Animal: White-tailed Deer
Alamy/Bastique/Wikimedia

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TENNESSEE

Ranking: 25

Score: 43%

State Animal: Raccoon
Alamy/Thinkstock

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NEBRASKA

Ranking: 25

Score: 43%

State Animal: White-tailed Deer
Alamy/Dcrjsr/Wikimedia

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DELAWARE

Ranking: 23

Score: 45%

State Animal: Grey Fox
Alamy/Ken Thomas/Wikimedia

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IOWA

Ranking: 23

Score: 45%

State Animal: Eastern Goldfinch Bird
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NEVADA

Ranking: 22

Score: 47%

State Animal: Desert Bighorn Sheep
Alamy/Coolstock/flickr

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MICHIGAN

Ranking: 12

Score: 54%

State Animal: White-tailed Deer
Alamy/Alan Vernon/Wikimedia

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LOUISIANA

Ranking: 18

Score: 49%

State Animal: Black Bear
Alamy/snowmanradio/flickr

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DISTRICT OF COLOMBIA

Ranking: 18

Score: 49%

State Animal: Wood Thrush
Alamy/Magnus Manske/Wikimedia.

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RHODE ISLAND

Ranking: 18

Score: 49%

State Animal: Rhode Island Red Chicken
Alamy/Thinkstock

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PENNSYLVANIA

Ranking: 17

Score: 51%

State Animal: White-tailed Deer
Alamy/Mdf/Wikimedia

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MARYLAND

Ranking: 16

Score: 53%

State Bird: Baltimore Oriole
Alamy/NPS

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FLORIDA

Ranking: 12

Score: 54%

State Animal: Florida Panther
Alamy/Gabriel Barathieu/flickr

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CONNECTICUT

Ranking: 12

Score: 54%

State Animal: Sperm Whale
Alamy/ARS

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NEW HAMPSHIRE

Ranking: 2

Score: 64%

State Animal: White-tailed Deer
Alamy/Anthony Domire Jr./Wikimedia

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VERMONT

Ranking: 12

Score: 54%

State Animal: Morgan Horse
Alamy/LASZLO ILYES/flickr

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NEW YORK

Ranking:7

Score: 58%

State Animal: Beaver
Alamy/Wikimedia

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VIRGINIA

Ranking: 7

Score: 58%

Official Animal: American Foxhound
Alamy/Greg Bulla/Wikimedia

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COLORADO

Ranking: 7

Score: 58%

State Animal: Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
Alamy/NPS

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WASHINGTON

Ranking: 7

Score: 58%

State Animal: Olympic Marmot
Alamy/Robertbody/Wikimedia

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ARIZONA

Ranking: 7

Score: 58%

State Animal: Ringtail Cat
Alamy/Walter Ezell/Wikimedia

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MAINE

Ranking: 5

Score: 60%

State Animal: Moose
Alamy

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NEW JERSEY

Ranking: 5

Score: 60%

State Animal: Horse
Staplegunther/Wikimedia/Steve/flickr

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OREGON

Ranking: 4

Score: 62%

State Animal: American Beaver
Alamy/Jerry Segraves/Wikimedia

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ILLINOIS

Ranking: 2

Score: 64%

State Animal: White-tailed Deer
Alamy/US Government

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MASSACHUSETTS

Ranking: 2

Score: 64%

State Animal: Right Whale
Alamy/Scott_Calleja/flickr

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Next: See the 100 Best Cities for Dogs

CALIFORNIA

Ranking: 1

Score: 74%

State Animal: California Grizzly Bear

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