"The law, which took effect in January, prohibits declawing unless a veterinarian performs the procedure for medical reasons, such as removing tumors or preventing chronic infection. New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Virginia already ban cat declawing, as do more than a dozen cities, such as Denver, Pittsburgh and St. Louis."
"Animal rights advocates anticipate more states will pass similar laws to prevent individuals from pushing the surgical procedure onto their feline companions for mere human convenience. But veterinary organizations say the decision of whether to declaw a cat should be left to the discretion of the veterinarian."
"“Indeed, with cats regarded as members of the family, the new law represents another step in securing their inherent interests and further distinguishes them from mere property,” he adds."
"“We believe that declaw should only be considered when it is medically necessary or when all other efforts to manage harmful scratching behaviors have failed, and the alternative may be abandonment, relinquishment or euthanasia,”"
California took effect in January with a law prohibiting cat declawing unless a veterinarian performs the procedure for medical reasons. Medical reasons include removing tumors or preventing chronic infection. New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Virginia already ban declawing, and more than a dozen cities have similar restrictions. Animal rights advocates expect additional states to follow to prevent declawing for human convenience. Veterinary organizations oppose elective declawing and emphasize that declawing should be considered only when medically necessary or after nonsurgical scratching-management efforts fail, because alternatives may lead to abandonment, relinquishment, or euthanasia.
Read at ABA Journal
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]