March 4, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
IP28, also known as the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act, is a proposed ballot initiative in Oregon for the November 2026 general election.
In general, the bill seeks to prohibit animal cruelty in the form of abuse, harm and neglect, and to extend legal protections of multiple groups of animals in Oregon, such as pets, farm animals, research lab animals and animals in the wild. These animals would be protected from slaughter, hunting, fishing and experimentation.
The definition of animal abuse is the intentional, knowing and reckless injury of an animal, and IP28 seeks to expand which animals are protected against this.
In addition to the injury and killing of animals, animal sexual assault would be prohibited. More specifically, this prohibition targets the breeding of animals to impregnate them, including farm and ranch animals as well as dog breeders.
Neglect in the form of withholding care from an animal or the unnecessary tethering of an animal would be made illegal under the bill. Under this, animals in transport trucks would also need to have the required resources to avoid neglect, like adequate food, water and shelter.
Those with a criminal charge of animal cruelty would be prohibited from owning more animals.
There would be certain exceptions to the law, such as required veterinary care and acts of self-defense against animals.
Those against the ballot argue that the killing of animals is necessary for things like food production, population management and research. In response, the IP28 team says, “We believe it is possible to meet all of our needs as human beings while simultaneously meeting the needs of the animals we inhabit this state with. Using the killing of animals as a strategy to meet our needs is a choice, and our campaign wants to propose making a different one. Whether that looks like greater investment in plant agriculture, utilizing non-lethal wildlife management practices, or implementing non-animal methods for research, many alternative strategies already exist to choose from.”
In regard to the concerns brought up of not having enough food in the case of the bill passing, they argue that Oregon is a top producer of many crops, fruits, nuts and vegetables, and that Oregon already produces enough of these crops to feed everyone.
To help those who rely on animals, IP28 also says that they will provide a Humane Transition Fund that would provide grants to assist in providing food, replacing lost income, job retention and conservation and rewilding efforts.
Those who are against the proposal have many concerns, often the biggest one being a forced vegan agenda on Oregonians — they would either have to adapt their lifestyle or import food from another state, raising the cost of food. Small business owners who make a living off of animals would be negatively affected, such as small farms, local Saturday markets and restaurant owners. Oregonians outside of this would also be affected on a day-to-day basis. For example, pest control would be illegal, meaning homeowners couldn’t harm things like mice in their house. Additionally, they argue that scientific research and teaching involving animals is necessary to continue for those who want to go into veterinary careers or study topics like oceanography.
Regardless of the opposing sides, the ballot proposal would need upwards of 115,000 more signatures from Oregon registered voters to get on the November ballot.
Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu
