The Northwest Territories and Nunavut are Canada's worst jurisdictions for animal protection laws for the second year in a row, according to an international animal-rights group.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund's latest Canadian report card says the two territories are tied for last place when it comes to having strong or broad enough animal protection legislation.

In its report, released Wednesday, the group calls for both territories to bring in tougher measures against people who abuse pets and other animals.

Meanwhile, the group's report pegged Yukon in fifth place — up from seventh place last year — for introducing new fines and penalties in animal neglect cases in the territory.

"It's a credit to the Yukon that the laws are as strong as they are. Number 5 in the entire country is a pretty good position," Stephan Otto, the report's author, told CBC News on Wednesday.

"Not only does it provide an objective criteria for law enforcement, to know when a law's been violated or not, but also it's a very good educational tool as well."

Ontario in 1st place

When the Animal Legal Defense Fund issued its first Canadian rankings in 2008, it put the N.W.T. and Nunavut in the bottom tier but ranked Ontario as having the worst animal protection laws.

Ontario has since jumped to first place in both last year's and this year's rankings. Joining Ontario in the report's top tier this year are Nova Scotia, Manitoba and New Brunswick.

Along with Yukon, the report's middle-ranked jurisdictions include British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Joining the N.W.T. and Nunavut among the bottom-ranked jurisdictions are Alberta and Quebec, according to the report.

"It's interesting because the Yukon, as one of the territories, is fairly well-positioned with strong laws, in quite [a] contrast to, like, the Northwest Territories," Otto said.

The group's report says Yukon can still improve its animal protection laws by introducing heavier penalties and barring convicted animal abusers from owning animals again, among other recommendations.