Santa Monica Passes Ordinance Banning Cat Declawing

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| Print | By Jo Singer | October 30, 2009 10:12 AM

After the hugely disappointing decision by the Malibu, California City Council on October 12, in which they rejected the passage of its pending ban on declawing cats, it was great news for cat lovers to learn about the successful passage of the declaw ban ordinance passed on Tuesday, October 27, by the City Council of Santa Monica, with an overwhelming vote of 6-1.

While there will be a second reading of the pending ordinance, in the Paw Project's announcement of the victorious result they wrote, "Unless something very odd happens, it will become law. All seven Councilmember's spoke out against declawing for owner convenience and against "packaging" declaw surgery with spaying and neutering. We are very grateful to them all for taking the time to consider seriously this issue."

Close to 40 people attended in support of the ban. Included were between 5 and 6 local California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) member veterinarians and a representative from the HSVMA. More than 20 people attending spoke out in support of the passage of the declaw ordinance. Speaking out against the passage of the ordinance were three non-local CVMA veterinarians along with two other people.

Several other City Councils in California still have proposed bans pending to ban the declawing of domestic cats. These cities are Berkeley, Beverly Hills, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Since these ordinances must be passed before December 31, 2009, due to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto of a bill which would have allowed cities and towns to pass declaw ordinances at any time, it is essential that people who wish to take action to help prevent this cruel and unnecessary procedure, to act immediately.

It only takes a few minutes to register your opinion. Contact representatives of each city in support of the passage of the pending bans. You do not have to be a resident of California to express your feelings and to encourage the City Council to pass their pending ordinances. Public opinion is very effective in swaying undecided members, and every voice counts.

Here are the dates of the upcoming hearings:
11/2 - Los Angeles Public Safety committee hearing
11/3 - Beverly Hills 1st City Council hearing

Visit The Paw Project Website for further information with the names of representative to contact and other suggestions about how to become involved.

http://www.pawproject.com/html/what.asp

Thank you for participating in this crucial cause to represent all the cats who cannot speak for themselves.

RELATED TOPICS: Cats (103) , Declawing (6) , Pet News (1)

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Amy October 30, 2009 12:01 PM

Yahoo!

Barbara October 30, 2009 12:19 PM

I am so glad that SM voted for a ban on this barbaric, inhumane and unnecessary procedure. This is a tremendous achievement and one that will spare many, many cats from the pain of de-toeing. Everyone who has made an effort, however small, to help get declawing banned should pat themselves on the back because this is a triumph for us all.

Vicki October 30, 2009 12:32 PM

I am so glad to hear this. I wish it would be put into law in every state, and even throughout the world.

Jo Singer October 30, 2009 1:31 PM

Vicki:

In fact it is banned in over 37 countries around the world as it is considered animal cruelty. The USA needs to follow suit and become one of these countries that are truly humane to cats.

jmuhj October 30, 2009 5:30 PM

Bravo, Jo! and agree 100%. Yes, we can all be proud of our efforts for Santa Monica's cats. Now, let's get the rest of it done! I made a suggestion via email to the Paw Project to put up a letter on the social networking sites, Change.org and Care2, so that busy people will be able to contact ALL of those involved quickly and easily. I hope they will be able to do that!

Jean Hofve DVM November 1, 2009 2:42 PM

I'm a feline vet who has witnessed first-hand the suffering of these cats...not just the surgery but the chronic pain and arthritis that follows due to the change in biomechanics from the paws to the shoulders. I am happy to support any ban on declawing, which is the last "legalized cruelty" practiced on cats. It needs to stop!

Ruth from England November 2, 2009 3:11 AM

Good news about Santa Monica,let's hope Beverly Hills and Los Angeles follow suit this week. We in England who are fighting alongside our USA friends will be happy when declawing is banned worldwide:
http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4312
Even before it was illegal here, none of our vets would do this dreadful operation.
How I wish all USA vets were as wise and compassionate as Dr Hofve !!!

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