Zoophilia and the law

Zoophilia and the law looks at the laws governing humans performing sex acts on animals. Laws against humans performing sex acts on animals, where they exist, are concerned with the actual act, which it commonly refers to as bestiality, rather than the sexual attraction to animals. For this reason, prohibitions of zoophilic pornography are more varied; they may be unlawful if an actual sex act with an animal is involved, but the status is not clear-cut if there is a mere representation, such as a painting or cartoon. In that case, normal obscenity laws will normally apply. All zoophilic imagery is widely regarded as pornography.

The practice of humans having sex with animals sometimes involves animal cruelty or animal abuse, which often involves zoosadism. However, not all sexual activity with animals involves cruelty.

For centuries, sexual acts on animals were illegal under sodomy laws or "crime against nature" laws. Since the 1950s most sodomy laws have been repealed and in some places specific anti-bestiality laws have been enacted.

Bestiality was outlawed in Norway in 2008,The Netherlands in 2010,Australian Capital Territory in 2011,Sweden in 2013, and Denmark in 2015.

In the U.S., as of 2016, bestiality is illegal in 42 states. Most state laws banning sex with animals were enacted between 1999 and 2016. Laws were enacted in Pennsylvania in 1999,Iowa in 2001,Maine in 2001, Illinois in 2002,Maryland in 2002,Connecticut in 2005, Washington in 2006,Arizona in 2006,Indiana in 2007,Tennessee in 2007,Colorado in 2007,Alaska in 2010,Florida in 2011,Alabama in 2014, New Jersey in 2015, New Hampshire in 2016, and Ohio in 2016. A 2001 Oregon law had its penalty increased in 2016. Laws which prohibit non-abusive sex with animals have been criticized for being discriminatory, unjust and unconstitutional.

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