That is correct.

AD&D used to have more nuanced view of intelligence, with each species having its Intelligence graded separately. As a result, many animals in earlier editions had intelligence above "animal" and, consequently, Alignment other than True Neutral. Animals like that also tended to have language of their own, several types of primates and Giant Beaver come to mind most prominently.

If we applied cutting-edge real-life knowledge of animal cognition to D&D 3.x. ruleset, quite many species would gain Int 3 or above and consequently qualify for alignments other than True Neutral. Corvids, dolphins and primates come to mind. Consequently, hunting them for food would not be without moral weight anymore; a player character would have to place much greater emphasis on non-violence and vegetarianism to remain Good or even Neutral.