I know multiple people here in Tuscaloosa (and the surrounding area) with 4, 5, or 8 animals in their home. I've lived in more than one place in my lifetime. In fact, I have lived in several places, and I have NEVER seen an area with so many folks owning more than one pet.
I just do not get it.
How is this possible in Alabama? But let's face it.
This is pretty sad news.
Yes, we are ranked low in some of these studies, and it is frustrating. This is just plain wrong. Are we one of the worst states for animals in the USA? Well, according to the "Animal friendliness rankings," we are not in good shape.
There are over 150 million pets across the country relying on us to take care of them. Smilehub compared the animal-friendliness of all 50 states across several key metrics. The data ranges from the number of animal charities to the share of no-kill shelters.
When reviewing all the data, Alabama ranks 50th. We are 44th in the amount of land we designate for parks and wildlife. Alabama is 49th in Animal protection laws on the books. Alabama is 35th in Veterinarians per 1,000 pet-owning households.
Alabama did best in the category of "pet-owning households," which ranked 24th.
We were 30th in Animal charities per capita. Clearly, one of the more disturbing items is our rank in the area of animal-protection laws. I'm not recommending we go crazy in this area, but we shouldn't be 49th!
We could also work to improve our ranking in land designated for parks and wildlife. We announce 100 new projects each month in Alabama, and we could do more to turn this area into a positive one.
Alabama animal lovers must be saddened by our ranking among all other states.