Image by Flickr user angela n.

The Humane Society of the United States has ranked South Carolina 38th in their annual 'Humane State Ranking' report.

The bottom tier ranking is due largely in part to the state's refusal to make cockfighting a felony. The United State Humane Society also reports that South Carolina has no protections for animals on factory farms or on puppy mills.

The Post and Courier has an article detailing the recent ranking; read it here.