Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PRNewswire - September 23, 2009
De-clawing is a misnomer, according to McKeown, who said, "We are not talking about a pampering manicure for cats. De-clawing is inhumane mutilation and provides no direct therapeutic benefit to animals." The procedure of de-clawing is actually an amputation of the last bone in each of a cat's toes.
McKeown was first introduced to the deleterious effects of de-clawing by Jennifer Conrad, DVM founder of the Paw Project, a non-profit organization that promotes public awareness about the crippling effects of de-clawing. As a result of the Paw Project's efforts, California now bans declawing of captive wild cats, the USDA forbids its licensees to de-claw, and West Hollywood, California became the first city in the U.S. to ban declawing.
Opposing the ordinance was Mark Nunez, representing the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), a trade organization supporting business interests of veterinarians. Nunez argued that the ordinance would interfere with veterinarian's practice and result in more cats being relinquished to shelters, a warning that is not supported by the statistics. In 2004, the CVMA successfully sued the City of West Hollywood to overturn its 2003 ordinance, and in 2007, the California Court of Appeal upheld the right of cities to outlaw procedures that they deem inhumane. To circumvent the Court's decision, and ensure its members can continue to profit by de-clawing cats, the CVMA pushed for a bill (SB 762) preventing other California cities from restricting procedures performed by veterinarians. The bill becomes law January 1, 2010. San Francisco is among other cities currently considering anti-declawing ordinances before SB 762 takes effect.
Five Santa Monica veterinarians testified in favor of the anti-de-claw ordinance. "De-clawing is a completely unnecessary procedure. It causes pain, complications and behavioral problems like litter box aversion. There are humane alternatives," stated Armaiti May, a Santa Monica veterinarian who does not perform de-claw surgeries. Although May is a member of the CVMA, she opposes their position. "The CVMA does not represent my interests."
Christienne Metropole of the Stray Cat Alliance, a Santa Monica animal shelter, testified that the majority of cats relinquished to shelters by owners are de-clawed. She sited behavioral problems caused by de-clawing as the primary reason cats lose their homes.
Santa Monica City Council's measure falls on the heels of the release of The Paw Project's controversial new billboard, which illustrates the cruelty of de-clawing with a depiction of a human hand amputated at the last knuckle of each finger.
Banned or considered unethical in many countries worldwide, de-clawing surgery is commonly performed in the U.S. to prevent cats from scratching furniture. Conrad notes, "Not only are there no therapeutic benefits of de-clawing for the animals, the procedure provides no benefits to cat owners either. Infectious diseases specialists and epidemiologists do not recommend de-clawing to protect the health of HIV-positive and other immuno-compromised individuals; such individuals are at greater risk of infection from cat bites. De-Clawed cats have been robbed of their primary defense and therefore have to bite to protect themselves."
The Santa Monica City Council directed staff to draft the anti-declaw ordinance and return it for a vote by November. For more information, please visit www.pawproject.org
Source: The Paw Project
CONTACT: Snowden Bishop, +1-310-396-4000, snowden@bishopartsandmedia.com, for The Paw Project
Web Site: http://www.pawproject.org/
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