Mass Animal Deaths Common, Widespread

With dozens of blackbirds found dead in western Kentucky, reports of large-scale animal deaths seem increasingly common. But as the Economist reports, such die-offs are relatively common.

There’s a degree of mystery with the most recent deaths, and if you’re hoping to track any new cases, try this map, which is making the blog rounds today.

Kentucky Ranked High In Another List Of “Worsts”

The Animal Legal Defense Fund has put the commonwealth on top of the list of “best states for animal abusers:

Based on a detailed comparative analysis of more than 4,000 pages of statutes, tracking fourteen broad categories of provisions, the report recognizes the states where animal law has real teeth, and calls out those like Kentucky–the single worst in the nation for animal protection laws for the fourth year running–where animal abusers get off easy.