Animal rights activists are fond of mocking hunters and ranchers for being concerned that the movement wants to destroy their way of life. But a ballot measure in Oregon pretty much proves those who have expressed these concerns were spot on.
An animal rights campaign is seeking to criminalize hunting and fishing in the state through a ballot initiative that would strip away legal exemptions to the state’s animal cruelty laws that protect hunters and fishermen.
The ballot proposal, called the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty (PEACE) Act, would radically change how Oregon treats animals under criminal law, it would allow the government to target not only hunters, but also researchers, pest-control work and wildlife policy, and those who own livestock and other animal owners.
The campaign promoting the proposal said it is still seeking to get it on the ballot. It said it gathered about 105,000 signatures in February. They need a total of 117,173 valid signatures by July 2 to qualify.
I haven't read this bill fully yet, but if this is true many other states will be passing these same kind of bills.
— Doni 🏴 (@DoniTheMisfit) April 1, 2026
I tried to warn you all, but you didn't listen. These kind of bills will pass eventually, everywhere and will be violently enforced. https://t.co/vFwVyxFhMP
The petition would rewrite Oregon’s cruelty laws in broad terms. It says a person commits second-degree animal abuse if that person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causes physical injury to an animal unless it is necessary to stop an immediate threat to people or other animals, and it says first-degree abuse includes causing serious physical injury or death under the same defense.
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The measure would also broaden the definition of “animal” to include any nonhuman mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian or fish would increase penalties for abuse and neglect crimes. It also prohibits some offenders from possessing any animal for five to 15 years and community service at Oregon animal-care facilities.
Of course, offenders could also face more than just fines and community service. A misdemeanor charge for animal abuse in the second degree could carry up to six months in jail. First degree offenders could face up to one year in jail and higher fines. Those with multiple convictions might spend up to five years in prison.
Currently, Oregon’s animal cruelty law exempts lawful fishing, hunting, and trapping activities along with livestock transport, rodeos, commercially grown poultry, good animal husbandry, livestock slaughter, wildlife management under color of law, scientific or agricultural research or teaching, pest and vermin control, and reasonable handling and training technique.
Under this measure, all of those exemptions would be eliminated except the ones for some veterinary practices and self-defense. In essence, it could immediately criminalize hunters, fishers, and others who handle animals in a way the animal rights lobby does not approve of.
This fight matters because if the animal rights cartel gets its way in Oregon, it could set a precedent for legislation targeting animal owners and hunters — which is precisely what these authoritarians want.
What many don’t know is that the animal rights movement isn’t really about caring for animals. It’s about control. It’s about forcing their ridiculous belief that animals are equal to humans on the rest of us. It’s one of the most insidious movements that people don’t know about.
These people seek to use the government to force people to adhere to their ideology. In Florida, they are opposing an amendment that would enshrine a “right to hunt and fish” into the state constitution. Supporters point out that it is necessary because other states have already moved toward hunting and fishing bans, according to Politico.
Josh Kellam, who chairs the movement, told Politico, “There has been an undertone across the country of states wanting to pass hunting, fishing bans” and that it had been “brought to our attention Florida was a potential threat.”
The Humane Society of the United States, one of the leading animal rights groups pushing this agenda argued that the measure is “unnecessary” and that it could lock in “cruel” methods and make it harder for officials to limit certain types of hunting and fishing.
In Rhode Island, lawmakers and the governor banned “captive hunting,” which means hunting animals inside fenced preserves or game ranches, after animal rights advocates claimed it turned wildlife into caged trophies. It prohibits hunters from bringing animals like elk and boar to be hunted in enclosures.
This is how the animal rights movement works. They are not the kind, compassionate people they make themselves out to be. They literally want the government to throw people in prison cells for hunting, fishing, and even owning animals. It’s the type of future we can look forward to if these people get their way.
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