While existing studies often focus on a single issue like farmed animals or human-wild animal coexistence, this study looks at how people in the U.S. view a range of animal welfare issues. It examines factors that might shape these views, like personal experiences with animals, political beliefs, and social identities. It also explores the idea of “pluralistic ignorance,” where people wrongly believe that others don’t care as much about animal welfare as they do, which can discourage public discussion and action. Understanding where people stand on animal protection and the importance they place on policy initiatives is key for advocacy efforts.

The survey was conducted in August 2024 with 2,074 U.S. residents using the Prolific platform, which recruited a demographically representative sample for age, sex, and ethnicity according to Census Bureau data. The researchers then weighted the final results to more closely mirror census estimates for other demographic factors such as education, political identity, and household income.

Beyond basic demographics, the survey collected a variety of details on respondents’ connection to animals, including:

• Pet ownership
• Efforts to reduce animal product consumption
• Engagement in activities such as hunting and fishing
• Vegan or vegetarian diet
• Social networks related to animals (whether friends and family hunt or fish or are vegan or vegetarian)
• Experiences with local wild animals
• Visits to zoos or wild animal sanctuaries

General Perspectives On Animal Protection

Overall, respondents were most concerned about animals used for research purposes (61%), shows and rodeos (60%), and in zoos and aquariums (57%). They were least concerned about invasive wild animals (30%). When respondents were asked about the importance of government programs or policies aimed at reducing human-caused animal suffering, their priorities aligned with their overall concerns.

Additionally, respondents ranked the importance of reducing animal suffering compared to other policy issues such as healthcare, climate change, and others. This resulted in an average ranking of 5.4 on a 10-point scale from least to most important.

Knowledge And Beliefs About Animal Protection Issues

Most respondents felt they had little knowledge about animal protection issues, with only 14.5% saying they felt “very” or “extremely” knowledgeable about which animals in the U.S. are suffering the most.

When asked about their beliefs related to animal protection laws, 50% believed that most wild animals in the U.S. are protected from inhumane hunting and trapping methods, while 27.5% believed that strong laws exist to protect animals used in farming and food production.

The survey also found that 67% of respondents somewhat or strongly agreed that the U.S. legal system should reclassify animals to give them more rights than objects or property, while 19.5% somewhat or strongly disagreed.

Expanding Cruelty Laws To Include Wild Animals

The majority of respondents supported expanding animal cruelty legislation to make cruelty towards wild animals a criminal violation at the state level (88%) and the federal level (86%).

Addressing Carnivore Killing

Most respondents also supported laws banning wild animal killing contests at the state level (82%) and the federal level (78%). The strongest support was for banning methods like running carnivores over with vehicles and poisoning them.

Extreme Confinement On Factory Farms

Support was strong for laws requiring pigs to have enough space to stand up, turn around, and stretch their legs, with 90% of respondents supporting state laws and 88% supporting federal laws. The majority of respondents also supported banning the confinement of chickens in battery cages for egg production at the state level (82%) and the federal level (81%).

Octopus Farming

Bans on octopus farming due to concerns about their confinement and method of killing were supported by many respondents, with 69% in favor of state laws and 67% in favor of federal laws.

Vessel Speed Limits For Atlantic Right Whale Conservation

The majority of respondents (85.5%) were supportive of expanding federal speed restrictions to reduce boat collisions with whales.

Predictors Of Animal Protection Perspectives

The study found that owning a pet, being an animal activist, reducing meat consumption, and having vegan or vegetarian friends were linked to greater concern for animal suffering and greater importance placed on animal welfare-friendly policies, while visiting zoos and identifying as male were associated with lower levels of concern and lower rankings of importance.

Pluralistic Ignorance On Animal Protection Issues

The study explored pluralistic ignorance, where people believe that others hold different opinions than they do. Respondents consistently ranked animal suffering as more important than they thought the general public would. For example, while 86% supported a federal law against wild animal cruelty, they estimated that only 62% of the U.S. public would support it. This demonstrates a clear gap between personal beliefs and perceptions of public opinion on animal welfare policies.

A key limitation of this research is that while the sample was designed to be representative of the U.S. population for a variety of demographics, it may not fully reflect the general population in other important ways, such as internet proficiency. Additionally, the language used in the survey questions and case descriptions may have influenced responses, as it mirrored terminology commonly used by wildlife agencies, non-profits, and the media.

Despite these limitations, animal advocates will find the survey results useful, as they indicate strong public support for increased protections for wild and farmed animals at both the state and federal levels, which can help influence elected officials. They also reveal how personal experiences with animals, political beliefs, and social identities shape people’s views of animal protection, helping advocates to better understand their audience. Moreover, advocates can demonstrate to their supporters that they’re not alone — much of the public shares their views that animals deserve greater protection under the law.