Animal Cruelty Petition Could End Up Banning Most Hunting and Fishing in Oregon

Published 02/17/26 at 6:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Salem, Oregon) - A new initiative gathering steam in Oregon looks to expand animal cruelty laws but is causing an increasing amount of controversy. (Garibaldi - Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

The initiative, known as the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act or IP28, seeks to amend Oregon statutes by removing long-standing exemptions for activities related to hunting, fishing, livestock production, and certain types of research. If approved, the measure would dramatically expand what qualifies as animal abuse, neglect, or assault under state law.

Those changes could effectively halt most forms of hunting in Oregon, including along the coast and throughout the Coast Range, and could restrict many types of recreational and commercial fishing.

According to the PEACE campaign, the goal is to modernize Oregon’s animal-protection laws by recognizing that animals experience pain, fear, and stress. The group argues that current exemptions leave farm animals, research animals, exhibition animals, and wildlife without meaningful protection from intentional or reckless harm. The measure would also revise definitions of “minimum care” and limit when injury to an animal is legally permissible, largely restricting it to veterinary treatment or self-defense.

Photo ODFW

Opposition has mounted quickly from agricultural and hunting organizations. The Oregon Hunters Association warns the proposal would “outlaw hunting and fishing,” criminalize routine ranching and farming practices, and hinder the ability to manage pests or protect public health. Agricultural groups, including AGPROfessionals, argue the measure would not meaningfully improve enforcement against genuine abuse but would instead disrupt food production and prohibit widely accepted veterinary procedures.

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“It aims to criminalize lawful animal use, dismantle food production, and promote a long-standing animal liberation agenda through voter confusion rather than legislative debate,” AGPROfessionals said in a statement.

The text of the petition does not - upon initial inspection - appear to name nor mention larger aspects of fishing, hunting or the meat industry, but legal interpretation can be quite complex.

To date, PEACE has acquired nearly 90,000 signatures. See the full text of IP28.

If voters approve the initiative, the statutory changes would take effect 30 days after the election.

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