The way we behave with each other tells a lot about us as a society, but the way we behave towards animals, especially those that can barely protect themselves, tells a lot about us as humans, and it’s important to know which are the worst countries for animal cruelty.
Inflicting pain on others is something that we should all avoid, but we should do the same when it comes to bringing pain to animals. Most people in the world have a kind heart and usually defend the weak, including the animals, but there are bad seeds out there that will go out of their way to harm animals, be them dogs, cats, monkeys, horses and so on.
Also, in the range of animal cruelty falls killing animals for food or fur. While going vegetarian isn’t necessarily a life goal for the most of us, it is, at least, important to know that there are laws out there managing the way these animals that end up on our tables are killed – without needless cruelty. There are also plenty of laws regarding using animals for entertainment in circuses, for instance, or for research in labs; and there are definitely laws about the way one should take care of an animal it keeps as a pet, including about the way they live, in which case you could take a look at the 11 worst countries for air pollution, which could definitely affect the little four legged friends.
There are places in the world, however, that aren’t exactly the best at protecting those who cannot speak for themselves. World Animal Protection has released the Animal Protection Index where 50 countries around the world are listed depending on their commitment to protecting animals. The Animal Protection Index takes into consideration various aspects, including whether the country recognizes animal sentience, if it supports the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare, and if there are laws against animal cruelty. Whether farm animals are protected is also an issue, and so is whether animals kept in captivity or pets have any protection.
The government’s accountability for animal welfare is also on the list, much like the engagement with the World Organization for Animal Health. If there is any type of education on animal care and protection, the country receives extra points. In order to make things simpler since the Index has handed out letter grades, we’ve commuted them to numbers so we could add them up and present you with proper scores. Without further ado, here are the 11 worst countries for animal cruelty.
