Laws are often the reflection of the values of a society, and that’s why we support the passage of laws that protect animals from cruelty. In a nation like the U.S., state and local laws are frequently as important as federal laws, and they play a fundamental role in our efforts to secure the highest level of protection possible for animals at risk.
Sometimes these legislative campaigns take years. In Iowa, our campaigners have been working for eight years to update Iowa’s animal cruelty laws. This was a campaign with many challenges, and we helped to assemble a broad coalition of supporters in pursuit of this upgrade. Here, Leighann Lassiter, program director with our companion animals team, and Preston Moore, Iowa state director, tell the story of how a new law recognizing the seriousness of extreme animal cruelty finally passed.
With Governor Kim Reynolds’ signature on a new law in Iowa, the state has joined the other 49 in the U.S. that make intentional animal torture a felony on the first offense. The law includes elevated penalties if the individual involved has already been convicted for animal abuse, neglect or torture, injury to or interference with a police service dog, bestiality or involvement in animal fighting.
This has been nearly a decade in the making. And it could not come at a better time, because Iowa is a hot spot for social, political and cultural debates over animals, and the need for laws to protect them. In some respects, the presence and political engagement of these interests make our work in the state on other issues more difficult to navigate.
But not impossible—and we believed that a felony upgrade for egregious individual acts of cruelty was an issue that would stir the conscience of Iowa voters. Iowa was the only state where extreme animal cruelty was not an automatic felony on the first offense. We knew early on that legislators needed to hear from the people they represent—not just from lobbyists in the hallways of the State Capitol. So, we launched a major media and grassroots outreach campaign to show, without question, that Iowans care deeply about protecting animals.
Such a campaign requires advertising, extensive digital outreach through text and email campaigns, phone banking and on-the-ground mobilization.
Polling done by Humane World Action Fund told the story loud and clear: Iowans agreed that animal cruelty should be a felony. Those numbers didn’t just sit in a report—they became the foundation of our advocacy. They gave lawmakers the political courage to move forward, knowing their constituents had their backs. Humane World Action Fund plays a unique role in the animal protection movement by supporting or opposing candidates on the ballot. Voters care deeply about animal protection issues, and Humane World Action Fund is there with resources to help them hold elected officials accountable.
The bill passed the Iowa House unanimously early in the session. The strong bipartisan support in the lower chamber set a clear tone. The bill also advanced unanimously through the Senate subcommittee and the full Agriculture Committee. On paper, it looked like a straightforward path to passage.
But then, things stalled out in the Senate. A small group of senators dug in and opposed the bill. The legislative calendar filled up with a raft of legislative priorities—property tax reform, budget negotiations and other issues—and we realized we had to do more.
That’s when we went all in.
We followed up with one of our largest-ever Humane Lobby Days. Seventy-five advocates from across the state showed up at the Capitol, and they made the most of the day—seeing one of our 2026 Trailblazer in Animal Welfare Award recipients honored, meeting with the lieutenant governor, and recognizing law enforcement leaders who had spoken out in support.
On April 15 we co-hosted a coalition press conference outside the Statehouse. It was a turning point in our public messaging. We stopped politely asking lawmakers to pledge their support and started stating the obvious: “We have the votes.”
The legislature’s original adjournment date of April 21 came and went with no movement on our bill. We kept the pressure on. Extensive phone banking, text messages, public outreach, media interviews, guest columns, targeted newspaper ads and more kept the issue visible everywhere—even on screens inside the Capitol.
Advocates flooded the Senate switchboard daily. Shelters, rescues, veterinarians and law enforcement officers continued making their voices heard through pop-up lobby days and direct outreach. Conservative activists applied constituent pressure from within Republican circles. Democrats all pledged support for the bill.
The narrative flipped. What had been a stalled bill suddenly became a must-pass piece of legislation.
In the final week of Iowa’s legislative session, the Senate passed the bill unanimously, with some minor amendments. The very next day, the House concurred unanimously. Just like that, it was done.
This bill passed into law because a broad, determined coalition of animal welfare organizations stood shoulder to shoulder with law enforcement officers and their state associations. Members of the veterinary community lent their expertise and credibility. Domestic violence and child advocates reminded everyone that animal abuse is often a warning sign of violence inside the home. The bill’s sponsors and other champions for animals in the House and Senate negotiated bill language and urged their colleagues to vote yes. And tens of thousands of everyday Iowans—Republicans, Democrats and independents—made their voices heard.
Whenever and wherever we advocate for bills that become laws protecting animals, we strengthen our ability to secure other measures. And such power is essential in a society where animals are vulnerable and entirely at our mercy.
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Leighann Lassiter is program director for the animal cruelty campaign at Humane World for Animals. Preston Moore is Iowa state director at Humane World for Animals.
