Law: Animal Law

For state statutes governing animal issues, the Animal Legal Defense Fund regularly updates its compilation of state statutes in a publication titled Animal Protection Laws of the United States of America & Canada. The most recent edition (8th ed.) was published in 2013 and is available for download at http://aldf.org/resources/advocating-for-animals/animal-protection-laws-of-the-united-states-of-america-and-canada/.

Animal welfare legislation from various countries can be found scattered across various websites. The "World Materials" page of the Animal Legal and Historical Center is one example of a site that collects laws from several countries. Below is a list of national laws on animal welfare that are written in English, have been translated into English, or have English summaries. Please note how current the laws below are, will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, so they are best thought of as a starting point to be updated by further research.

• Austria: Federal Act on the Protection of Animals (Animal Protection Act - TSchG) (Austrian Federal Chancellery)
• Bermuda: Care and Protection of Animals Act 1975 (Bermuda SPCA)
• Federal Decree on Anti-Cruelty (Animal Legal & Historical Center)
• Croatia: Animal Welfare Act from 1999 (Animal Friends Croatia)
• Fiji: Animals (Control of Experiments) Act (PacLII)
• Germany: Animal Welfare Act (Animal Legal & Historical Center) has been revised on May 18, 2006(in German)
• Ireland: Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act, 1965 (BAILII)
• Jamaica: Cruelty to Animals Act (Supreme Court of Jamaica)
• New Zealand: Animal Welfare Act of 1999 (New Zealand Legislation PAL Project)
• Norway: Animal Welfare Act (The Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food) the new act entered into force January 1, 2010
• Papua New Guinea: Animals Act 1952 
• Philippines: Animal Welfare Act of 1998 (International Wildlife Law Project)
• Poland: Animal Protection Act (Animal Legal & Historical Center)
• Portugal: Protection of Animals Law (Animal Legal & Historical Center)
• Solomon Islands: Animals (Control of Experiments) Act (PacLII)
• South Africa: Animal Protection Act (Animal Legal & Historical Center)
• South Korea: Korea Animal Protection Law (International Aid for Korean Animals)
• Switzerland: Federal Act on Animal Protection of March 9, 1978 (Animal Legal & Historical Center)
• Taiwan: Animal Protection Law (Animal Legal & Historical Center) 
• Tongo: Pounds and Animals Act (PacLII)
• United Kingdom: Animal Cruelty Laws (Animal Legal & Historical Center)
• Uruguay: Animal Protection 
• Vanuatu: Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PacLII)
• Zambia: Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (available through the International Portal on Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health)