Initiative Petition 28, titled People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act is a ballot initiative filed for the 2026 Oregon general election. For those hearing about IP28 for the first time, this ballot initiative would remove many of the current exemptions from Oregon’s animal cruelty laws against animal abuse, animal neglect, and animal sexual assault. These statutes prohibit the intentional injury or killing of an animal (abuse), the withholding of care from an animal or the injurious tethering of an animal (neglect), and the sexual contact of an animal’s mouth, anus, or genitals (sexual assault), but many animals are not currently protected under these laws due to the numerous exemptions included.
 By removing exemptions from these laws, animals that were not previously protected from abuse, neglect, and sexual assault would finally receive legal protections. As one might realize, this would impact many industries that currently involve animals. Animals on farms, research labs, exhibitions, and in the wild, would no longer be allowed to be intentionally injured or killed (abused), nor would they be allowed to be forcibly impregnated (sexually assaulted). Animals in transport trucks, or in the industries already mentioned, could no longer be deprived of adequate food, water, and shelter (neglected) either. Importantly, all veterinary practices and the use of self-defense would remain exempt from these statutes.
IP28 prohibits any activity—other than self-defense and veterinary practices—that intentionally injures, kills, or sexually violates an animal, many of which are currently legal because they are exempt from our animal cruelty laws. The reason we are seeking to prohibit these activities is not to be punitive towards anyone currently involved with the injuring, killing, or breeding of animals, but rather to be protective of the needs of the animals and to codify their right to life and bodily autonomy in law. There are many alternative ways that all of us can meet our needs without relying on the abuse, neglect, and sexual assault of animals—and we hope that this campaign helps push us towards that more peaceful future.

In order to help support the transition to alternatives that do not rely on injuring and killing animals, IP28 also establishes a Humane Transition Fund to provide grants helping with food assistance, replacement of lost income, job retraining, and aid in conservation and rewilding efforts. The Humane Transition Fund will be administered by a council consisting of representatives from the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Tribal Affairs, Oregon Department of Human Services, among other community members who would be impacted by the implementation of IP28. For a full list of those who would be recruited for the oversight council, see Section 13 of IP28.

We here at the Yes On IP28 campaign want to help everybody meet their needs. We are fortunate to exist in a time when there are ample resources to make sure everyone’s needs are being met without compromise. This includes the needs of the animals to be free from unnecessary human-caused suffering, as well as the needs of Oregon citizens to thrive.