New Zealand is considered to be one of the leaders in the field of animal welfare and protection. According to World Animal Protection, the New Zealand Animal Welfare Strategy states that animals are sentient, therefore, all should refer to their pain, distress, and their behavioral needs. As of now, causing animal suffering through cruelty or failure to act is prohibited, as well as studies and experiments on animals. Also, there are requirements to limit or prevent harm caused to particular animals such as marine mammals and game animals.

According to World Animal Protection, if you find an abandoned dog or cat in Poland, you’re required to notify an animal shelter, fire authority, or police. Then the abandoned dog or cat will not have to wander and starve on the streets. Also, commercial breeding of cats and dogs is prohibited.

As we mentioned before, in many U.S. states, dogs are viewed as property by law even though people consider them to be their family members. Therefore when someone steals a dog, in the eyes of the law, it will not be kidnapping and in the majority of the cases, the person can get away with it. Nevertheless, according to Tingen & Williams, it won’t be that easy in Virginia as stealing a dog is a Class 5 felony which is punishable by up to 10 years in jail regardless of the monetary value of the pet.

In most U.S. states when a married couple decides to get a divorce, their pets are treated the same way as property no different than TVs or cars even though they’re considered to be family members. However, according to the Washington Post, in 2017, Alaska became the first state to change this matter and its divorce laws. Now, in case of divorce and legal separation, the animals are treated almost the same way as the children: the judge determines who will get custody of the pet taking into consideration what’s best for them.

This year, Russia is taking a big step in reducing animal cruelty. According to the Moscow Times, the new law bans petting zoos in malls, animal cafes, animal fights, housing animals in bars and restaurants. Also, the killing of stray cats and dogs. This law was originally introduced in 2010, however, it took legislators eight years to finalize the act. Even though the law has been highly criticized for many loopholes, the state will define it at a later date.

The Netherlands is aiming to become the first country where there are no stray animals. According to Expatica, most cities in the Netherlands have an annual Dog Tax which is calculated depending on the number of dogs in each household and is currently set by the local municipality. All dogs must be registered with the local town hall. The tax was set in order to make people even more responsible when making the decision to get a pet.

According to Independent, the UK confirmed that the maximum sentence for animal cruelty will increase. The maximum fine will rise from £5,000 to £20,000 and for more serious cases, the maximum sentence will increase from two to five years in prison. This will surely prevent some serious animal cruelty cases.

Germany is also considered to be an animal-loving country with its animal protection laws. According to World Animal Protection, the fine for killing a protected animal can vary up to 25,000 euros and that’s a lot of money! Fun fact: wasps are protected in Germany since they don’t do any harm and also help clean the environment. However, you don’t need to worry about killing a single wasp in Germany and then getting a 25,000 euro fine as the fine would usually be imposed only if you got rid of the whole nest.

It might be no surprise but Italy considers itself to be a very animal-loving country as in many cities, animals are protected by law. However, one city in Italy stands out for its laws on animal welfare. According to Environmental News Network, in Turin, dog owners who walk their pets less than 3 times a day can be fined 500 euros ($650). Hard to believe? Animal lovers are also prohibited from dyeing their pet’s fur or “any form of animal mutilation” as the city doesn’t want Italians to turn their pets into ridiculous fluffy toys!

Oklahoma has seriously strict laws in regards to dog bites! According to AllLaw, if a person gets bitten or injured by a dog, he has two years to file a lawsuit in the state’s civil court system. And that’s a really long time! The dog owner is responsible for any injuries his dog causes even if the owner didn’t know that his dog might bite another person or simply act this way. However, the good news is that the dog owner might raise a few defenses if the injured person provoked the dog.