Lawmakers pass historic bills to protect animals from extinction and cruelty: 'The state faced so many issues'

Breakthrough legislation in Maryland has resulted in more protection for local animals, according to Humane World for Animals.

Maryland's state legislative session in early 2025 ended in April with the passage of a historic law to prevent rooster breeding (SB375/HB513). Another law (SB152/HB89) helped amend existing state code that now permits separate charges for multiple cases of animal cruelty.

Thanks to SB896/HB1152, landlords with five or more properties are required to post their pet policy on their websites and rental applications so pet parents can be informed before applying.

Pet parents and animal doctors can also rejoice thanks to SB318/HB643. This bill allows veterinarians to access the state's public service loan forgiveness program.

HB731/HB635 takes things even further by bringing together various stakeholders to protect endangered wildlife from car strikes. The legislation created the Maryland Connectivity Coalition to preserve habitats and prevent collisions.

These protective measures are even more significant since "this year's session opened with an air of trepidation as the state faced so many issues," as Maryland state director for Humane World for Animals Stacey Volodin told Humane World for Animals.

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Maryland's state government actions are essential to maintaining a balanced ecosystem where insects, animals, and humans can all thrive. Pet parents have more transparency about which local rentals accept them, while more safeguards are in place for wildlife as they roam their habitats.

Maryland's legal conservation efforts, along with others — such as the expansion of the Ivory Act of 2018 in the UK and the Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act that prevents horse slaughter for meat sale abroad — help prevent endangerment, which can lead to species extinction when unchecked.

Each species has a purpose, which includes their role in the food chain, cycling nutrients in the soil, or seed dispersal and pollination — a characteristic of pollinators that also benefit from the wildlife habitat preservation that is part of the focus of HB731/HB635. Thanks to SB152/HB89, animal abusers may be more hesitant to hurt, maim, or kill animals due to more extensive legal ramifications.

People also benefit from better natural resource management and living up to their ethical responsibilities, which they can pass on to their children. Observing plant and animal wildlife (preferably from afar) to understand various natural processes has been integral to environmental education that kids and adults benefit from. However, this becomes difficult when these plants and animals die off as a result of human actions.