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2012 Humane State Rankings

the daily dish More on PawNation: Birds, Cats, Causes, Dogs, Exotic, Farm Animals, Horses, Humane Society, Legal, Sad, Safety, Small and Furry, Wild Animals

Jan 28, 2013

  • Alamy/Yathin S Krishnappa/Wikimedia
    1 of 51

    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

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    2 of 51

    IDAHO

    Ranking: 50

    Score: 19%

    State Animal: Appaloosa Horse

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    MISSISSIPPI

    Ranking: 49

    Score: 20%

    State Animal: Bottlenose Dolphin 

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    4 of 51

    NORTH DAKOTA

    Ranking: 48

    Score: 22%

    State Animal: Nokota Horse

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    5 of 51

    SOUTH CAROLINA

    Ranking : 47

    Score: 24%

    State Animal: White-tailed Deer 

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  • Alamy/PierreSelim/Wikimedia
    6 of 51

    KENTUCKY

    Ranking: 46

    Score: 25%

    State Animal: Gray Squirrel 

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  • Alamy/USFWS
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    ALABAMA

    Ranking: 45

    Score: 27%

    State Animal: Black Bear 

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  • 8 of 51

    WYOMING

    Ranking: 44

    Score: 28%

    State Animal: American Buffalo 

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  • Alamy/Wikipedia
    9 of 51

    ARKANSAS

    Ranking: 43

    Score: 29%

    State Animal: White-tailed Deer

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  • Alamy/Wikimedia
    10 of 51

    UTAH

    Ranking: 41

    Score: 31%

    State Animal: Rocky Mountain Elk 

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  • Alamy/MuleGirl/Wikimedia
    11 of 51

    MISSOURI

    Ranking: 41

    Score: 31%

    State Animal: Missouri Mule 

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  • Alamy/Wikipedia
    12 of 51

    ALASKA

    Ranking: 38

    Score: 32%

    State Animal: Moose

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  • Alamy/Greg Hume/Wikimedia
    13 of 51

    WEST  VIRGINIA

    Ranking: 38

    Score: 32%

    State Animal: Black Bear 

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  • Alamy/Wikipedia
    14 of 51

    NORTH CAROLINA

    Ranking: 38

    Score: 32%

    State Animal: Gray Squirrel 

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  • 15 of 51

    MONTANA

    Ranking: 35

    Score: 35%

    State Animal: Grizzly Bear 

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  • Alamy/Kent Backman/Wikimedia
    16 of 51

    HAWAII

    Ranking: 35

    Score: 35%

    State Animal: Hawaiian Monk Seal 

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    17 of 51

    INDIANA

    Ranking: 35

    Score: 35%

    State Animal: Cardinal 

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  • 18 of 51

    WISCONSIN

    Ranking: 34

    Score: 36%

    State Animal: Dairy Cow 

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  • 19 of 51

    KANSAS

    Ranking: 33

    Score: 38%

    State Animal: American Buffalo 

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    20 of 51

    GEORGIA

    Ranking: 32

    Score: 39%

    State Animal: Right Whale 

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  • 21 of 51

    MINNESOTA

    Ranking: 30

    Score: 40%

    State Animal: Gopher

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  • 22 of 51

    OKLAHOMA

    Ranking: 30

    Score: 40%

    National Animal: American Buffalo 

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  • 23 of 51

    TEXAS

    Ranking: 28

    Score: 41%

    State Animal: Texas Longhorn 

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  • 24 of 51

    NEW MEXICO

    Ranking: 28

    Score: 41%

    State Animal: American Black Bear 

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  • Alamy/Wikipedia
    25 of 51

    OHIO

    Ranking: 27

    Score: 42%

    State Animal: White-tailed Deer 

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  • Alamy/Bastique/Wikimedia
    26 of 51

    TENNESSEE

    Ranking: 25

    Score: 43%

    State Animal: Raccoon

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  • Alamy/Thinkstock
    27 of 51

    NEBRASKA

    Ranking: 25

    Score: 43%

    State Animal: White-tailed Deer

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  • Alamy/Dcrjsr/Wikimedia
    28 of 51

    DELAWARE

    Ranking: 23

    Score: 45%

    State Animal: Grey Fox

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  • Alamy/Ken Thomas/Wikimedia
    29 of 51

    IOWA

    Ranking: 23

    Score: 45%

    State Animal: Eastern Goldfinch Bird

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  • 30 of 51

    NEVADA

    Ranking: 22

    Score: 47%

    State Animal: Desert Bighorn Sheep

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  • Alamy/Coolstock/flickr
    31 of 51

    MICHIGAN

    Ranking: 12

    Score: 54%

    State Animal: White-tailed Deer

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  • Alamy/Alan Vernon/Wikimedia
    32 of 51

    LOUISIANA

    Ranking: 18

    Score: 49%

    State Animal: Black Bear

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  • Alamy/snowmanradio/flickr
    33 of 51

    DISTRICT OF COLOMBIA

    Ranking: 18

    Score: 49%

    State Animal: Wood Thrush 

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  • Alamy/Magnus Manske/Wikimedia.
    34 of 51

    RHODE ISLAND

    Ranking: 18

    Score: 49%

    State Animal: Rhode Island Red Chicken

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    35 of 51

    PENNSYLVANIA

    Ranking: 17

    Score: 51%

    State Animal: White-tailed Deer

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  • Alamy/Mdf/Wikimedia
    36 of 51

    MARYLAND

    Ranking: 16

    Score: 53%

    State Bird: Baltimore Oriole

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  • Alamy/NPS
    37 of 51

    FLORIDA

    Ranking: 12

    Score: 54%

    State Animal: Florida Panther 

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  • Alamy/Gabriel Barathieu/flickr
    38 of 51

    CONNECTICUT

    Ranking: 12

    Score: 54%

    State Animal: Sperm Whale

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  • Alamy/ARS
    39 of 51

    NEW HAMPSHIRE

    Ranking: 2

    Score: 64%

    State Animal: White-tailed Deer 

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  • Alamy/Anthony Domire Jr./Wikimedia
    40 of 51

    VERMONT

    Ranking: 12

    Score: 54%

    State Animal: Morgan Horse

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  • Alamy/LASZLO ILYES/flickr
    41 of 51

    NEW YORK

    Ranking:7

    Score: 58%

    State Animal: Beaver

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  • Alamy/Wikimedia
    42 of 51

    VIRGINIA

    Ranking: 7

    Score: 58%

    Official Animal: American Foxhound

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  • Alamy/Greg Bulla/Wikimedia
    43 of 51

    COLORADO

    Ranking: 7

    Score: 58%

    State Animal: Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep

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  • Alamy/NPS
    44 of 51

    WASHINGTON

    Ranking: 7

    Score: 58%

    State Animal: Olympic Marmot

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  • Alamy/Robertbody/Wikimedia
    45 of 51

    ARIZONA

    Ranking: 7

    Score: 58%

    State Animal: Ringtail Cat

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  • Alamy/Walter Ezell/Wikimedia
    46 of 51

    MAINE

    Ranking: 5

    Score: 60%

    State Animal: Moose

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  • Alamy
    47 of 51

    NEW JERSEY

    Ranking: 5

    Score: 60%

    State Animal: Horse

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  • Staplegunther/Wikimedia/Steve/flickr
    48 of 51

    OREGON

    Ranking: 4

    Score: 62%

    State Animal: American Beaver

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  • Alamy/Jerry Segraves/Wikimedia
    49 of 51

    ILLINOIS

    Ranking: 2

    Score: 64%

    State Animal: White-tailed Deer

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  • Alamy/US Government
    50 of 51

    MASSACHUSETTS

    Ranking: 2

    Score: 64%

    State Animal: Right Whale

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  • Alamy/Scott_Calleja/flickr
    51 of 51
    Next: See the 100 Best Cities for Dogs

    CALIFORNIA

    Ranking: 1

    Score: 74%

    State Animal: California Grizzly Bear

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66 Comments

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dazey1st

As human beings we are the stewards of this planet. Unfortunately ignorance of our assigned responsibilities is too prevalent. If you want a pet RESCUE one. You will have taught your children compassion and devotion. If you see the hunting of any wild species loudly condemn it, choose at least one specie in need of protection and donate to it. A dollar, five dollars it's not going to make much difference in your life. Put the cookies back on the shelf and donate those four bucks to something worthy. If we all did that many creatures would have the protection they sorely need. This is part of my creed please make it part of yours. Children learn what they live. My son willingly rescued a dog from the shelter that had a broken leg that had set and with his money and the donations from others who cared he was able to raise enough money to do the necessary surgery. Yes, the dog remains lame but suffers no further pain. He is much loved. He has come home.

January 29 2013 at 4:59 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
evconrealty

I am from MA now living in TN. I have never seen such abuse of animals ever! I see puppies living with their mothers on the side of the road only to see them in a few months dead by cars. I pass a house with a kennel at the far end of the yard from the house with a beautiful shepherd. I went by one day and noticed they were putting up a fence and I was so excited that the dog would have room to run, but no he is still in that small kennel. I cry and cry but the mentality here is that a dog is just that, a dog. They just think differently here and there is only so much I can do.

January 29 2013 at 4:07 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply
itseasy1970

Did anyone see the dog stay by its owner in the freezing lake, which saved the mans life? Or has anyone seen the dog that will not leave the church where his owner/mistress was laid to rest? And you can tell the body language of the dog, that its depressed, sad and lost without her.
Doesn't that tell anyone that animals are much like us humans? Or the countless animals that bring love and happiness to families and now large companies? Life is meant to be lived with love in your heart regardless if it's an a person or animal. Animal abuse is when a person or persons knowingly do harm to an animal for fun, capital gain, or to take out their own mental frustrations on innocent creatures. Animals have been watching humans since human first walked the earth and have feelings like love too!

January 29 2013 at 1:28 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Hi Baby

I tried to respond to Jim but it posted many times !! Sorry

January 29 2013 at 12:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Hi Baby

Now let me see Mr.Goodie...How many children do you have that are using the planet's resources and eating meat (( Which requires killing animals )) Did you do your part to stem the tide ?? Well?? Everybody wants to complain but nobody wants to cut down on the population It cannot keep doubling forever or did you think it is all OK ?? All those lovely kids want pets too ( OH! We forgot that ?? )) Get em a Bunny for Easter ( smile )

January 29 2013 at 12:18 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Jim

I've seen a lot of excellent posts and must concur with most of them. I'm an animal lover, and really hate to see people abusing any cat dog or other type of domesticated animal.

Nature has provided a way for wild animals to survive although to us it seems somewhat cruel the way some of them have to die. But, I guess, just like in over populations problems of people, there has to be a limitation, and so nature has not given all animals a way to protect themselves such as humans have done.

Thank you all for good posts.

Jim

January 29 2013 at 12:15 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
bryanmerrittper2

I treat all my pets very good. The fact is though animals in the natural world always die a cruel terrible death usually by slowly being eaten alive by other wild animals humans are the least cruel of all animals when we kill for food it is much faster as a rule.If I was a deer I would much prefer a hunter's bullet to having my hind quarters torn away and eaten while I was still alive by a pack of hungry wolves or coyotes. Lets face it animals in the wild natural world have no good way to die..

January 29 2013 at 11:03 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
RhonMin

I wish my state was ranked higher than #12, but at least FL isn't the worst. I can't stand people that abuse animals. What kind of a sick mind can carry out such acts? Does it make them feel like they are more powerful, since they can harm an animal? That's just sick. Humans are responsible for taking care of animals. Just as we should take care of those less strong than we are personally, the same applies for the animals. If you don't have the kindness in your heart to take care of your fellow man and take care of the animals, you are in desperate need to mental health treatment!

January 29 2013 at 10:58 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to RhonMin's comment
itseasy1970

You sound like a great person and anyone around you animal or human is lucky. God bless!

January 29 2013 at 1:10 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
perth70

Blue states where convicted murders get more protection than third trimester children in the womb.

January 29 2013 at 10:38 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
perth70

Seems like red and blue states to me.

January 29 2013 at 10:36 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
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