The Animal Legal Defense Fund is handing New Brunswick a distinction that it would rather do without.

'New Brunswick just doesn't have very comprehensive laws on the books when it comes to protecting animals currently and that's why you've had this distinction.'— Stephen Otto, Animal Legal Defense Fund

The international organization is citing New Brunswick as one of the worst provinces for animal abuse, after studying everything from provincial laws protecting animals to penalties.

New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Quebec top the list of places with animal abuse laws that don't have teeth in the study.

This is the second year the organization has analysed animal protection laws across Canada.

"New Brunswick just doesn't have very comprehensive laws on the books when it comes to protecting animals currently and that's why you've had this distinction," said Stephan Otto, the organization's director of legislative affairs.

Another major flaw that the defence fund's study pointed out is that the penalties for people who commit violent acts against animals aren't high in the province.

The report credited Ontario from moving to first place from last in the past year. Ontario is now joined with Manitoba, British Columbia and Nova Scotia in the top tier of provinces.

Rallies across N.B. over animal protection laws

Several rallies have been in held in New Brunswick over the last few months to ask the province to beef up its animal cruelty laws.

They were sparked by the case of a Minto man who killed five of his puppies with a hammer, but who was acquitted in February of animal cruelty, prompting Justice Minister T.J. Burke to say the federal government should strengthen animal protection laws.

Burke also said in February that amendments must be made to the province's SPCA Act as well, but he's also calling on Ottawa to reform sections of the Criminal Code of Canada, which, he said, does not address "cruel and unusual injury causing death" to animals.

Otto said changing the laws to include incarceration for the worst types of animal cruelty could help New Brunswick get off the list of worst offenders.

"We know that those who abuse animals are also those who commit other forms of violence in our community so if we can have stronger animal protection laws we can make our communities safer for both those with four legs and those with two," Otto said.