Come March 1, it will be illegal to throw a lobster into a pot of boiling water. Chefs and home cooks will need to quickly kill the lobster first and then cook it. The first such national legislation of its kind in the world calls for a more humane death for lobsters — “rendering them unconscious” before plunging them into scalding water. Two methods are recommended: electrocution or sedating the lobster by dipping it into saltwater and then thrusting a knife into its brain.
… The same law also gives domestic pets new protections:
• Dogs can no longer be punished for barking.
• Cats must have a daily visual contact with other felines
• Hamsters and guinea pigs must be kept in pairs.
• No flushing a pet golfish down the toilet.