Animal rights by country or territory


Rights affecting non-human animals vary greatly by country or jurisdiction — encompassing everything from the legal recognition of non-human animal sentience to the absolute lack of any anti-cruelty laws with no regard for animal welfare.
Notably, as of 2019, 32 countries formally recognize non-human animal sentience, they are: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
It has been proposed that the United Nations pass the first resolution recognizing animal rights, the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare, which acknowledges the importance of the sentience of animals and human responsibilities towards them. The Great Ape Project is currently campaigning to have the United Nations endorse a World Declaration on Great Apes, which would extend to non-human great apes the protection of three basic interests: the right to life, the protection of individual liberty, and the prohibition of torture. Six countries currently ban the use of great apes for scientific research, and Austria is the only country in the world to ban experiments on lesser apes.
In 2009, Bolivia became the first country to ban all animal use in circuses. The United States of America is the only country in the world that has banned killing horses for consumption, and India is the only country to have banned killing cows for consumption in some of its states.
In 2014, the Jain pilgrimage destination of Palitana City in Indian state of Gujarat became the first city in the world to be legally vegetarian. It has banned buying and selling meat, fish, and eggs, as well as related jobs, such as fishing and animal farming.

Global animal rights maps

;General
World laws pertaining to animal sentience


World laws on animal cruelty


Animal rights at the UN


;Food production
World laws on battery cages


World laws on beak trimming


World laws on killing cats for consumption


World laws on killing cattle for consumption


World laws on chick culling


World laws on killing dogs for consumption


World laws on foie gras production


World laws on killing horses for consumption


World laws on shark fishing


World laws on stunning animals during ritual slaughter


;Clothing and cosmetics
World laws on killing animals for fur


World laws on cosmetic animal testing


;Entertainment
World laws on bullfighting


World laws on cockfighting


World laws on dog fighting


Laws banning the use of animals in circuses


World laws on goose pulling


Legality of zoophilia by country or territory


;Other
Legality of primate use in scientific research

Principal laws on animal rights

Individual countries