Are there 100 people in the US who are prepared to demonstrate against declawing?

I signed the petition, so there’s one more supporter in the U.S.!

yes, I’m on both of those Facebook pages! 🙂

I have a page on Facebook called Declawing Veterinarians Should Be Blacklisted. Also Declawing CrippledMyPaws is a major anti-declawing movement. Joining both would be a start.

What burns me up right now is vets are promoting laser declawing. As if that makes it OK.

I’d also like to add Vistaprint.com has a lot of free business cards, postcards, etc and it would be nice to have cards made up. I’ll probably do mine leading back to the Declawing Vets URL and also PoC URL.

If we could continue this thread on the new page (link below) it would be great. This is to make sure we have continuity.

Demo timetable and methods

Thanks.

That is to say ask him “NOT” to veto, but sign it into law. Please send or fax your letters soon.

dw

Meet me in St. Louis! (It’s a great old song, but I’ve never been to St. Louis)

Thanks for taking the lead Michael. Now to find the warm bodies. It will happen.

Meanwhile for anyone who has not written to the “Governator” urging him to sign AG 2743, again here is the link. If he signs this bill, it will give a huge boost to this cause and save thousands of cats claws. It will prevent landlords from requiring that cats be declawed.

Dorothy

I thought I had better put something concrete down as the comments are wonderful and the demo might happen!

Please read this page:

Anti-declawing demonstration St. Louis USA 2011 timetable and methods.

The page is a discussion document please note – thanks to you all. Lets make this work.

I’d love to be included on any e-mail lists. Even the fact we are all here talking about this is so exciting to me! I’ve dreamed of doing something like this for years. I’ve been doing some brainstorming and actually stumbled across some good ideas that were raised on another thread on here, “Declawing Turns Good Cats To Bad.” Would love to know if any of the avenues that were being discussed there might still be able to be pursued?

The link above is a page off The Paw Project where they have a suggested letter, with all the phone number needed to be in touch with the Governor. Please support this cause. But quickly!

Michael, as you see, The Paw Project is in California and they do good work, but in this state. The truth of the matter is, to really have an affect in this huge country (I think the size of England can fit twice in the state of Californa)there has to be first city and state laws passed as they are doing here in California. However, that said – a peaceful protest at St. Louis will help build awareness. I say we keep plugging away at it. If you don’t hear back from the two groups you wrote to, don’t be disheartened. They are working hard on behalf of cats, perhaps just in a different direction.

I can feel a shift in this cause. Watch it happen.

Starting an email group for volunteers and the support team here on POC would be a good start.

Dorothy

The Paw Project was supportive of the idea of a peaceful protest when I was considering protesting at this years AVMA convention. I detest Cat Fancy Magazine because they have profiled vets & shelters that declaw prior to adoption in their magazine, so I’d be surprised if they responded!

30th Aug 2010: I have emailed the above asking for help. Sorry if it sounds defeatist but I don’t expect a response!

I agree there are many things to organize – getting a permit to protest, finding out what anti-declaw animal welfare groups & shelters are right in the St. Louis area that could help with the ground work & participate in the PEACEFUL protest, and most importantly, talking to the Paw Project to get their guidance so we do it in a way that helps the movement and won’t hurt it. We can’t come off looking like extremists or crazy cat people – it absolutely has to be peaceful & professional. Once we have a plan in place with times & dates, then I think we could blast an invitation to all the advocates & celebrities out there.
As soon as AB 2743 is signed into law, I will be able to focus on this more, but right now we have to get people to CALL GOV SCHWARZENEGGER and ask him to support bill# AB 2743 – the bill is on his desk right now & he can veto at any time! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CALL RIGHT NOW!!!!(916) 445-2841 then press 1—2—0.

Has anyone thought about contacting the Barbi twins and asking if they and their followers would join the protest? I’m sure they could generate a lot of interest or publicity.

The Declaw Hall of Shame are another group worth contacting.

Are there any American politicians or celebrities known for supporting animal welfare causes who might be prepared to attend or lend support?

If the estimates I’ve heard that 25-30% of cats are declawed are true, then surely amongst the majority of non-declawing owners there must be at least 100 people willing to stand up and be counted?

Wishing you every success with this venture.

There has to be an organized effort that goes beyond these pages. I am happy to share my email address so those of us who have volunteered can be in touch. Perhaps we can start an email group with Yahoo or gmail, so everyone gets the same information.

We have to find those people (and there are millions) who will stand against this. It took Michael to get it going. We in the USA have to pull it together.

If you look at this website…(URL no longer works at march 2013, sorry). You will find a few area’s where declawing is banned. The Paw Project is fine organization. I will inquire with them about a way to proceed.

We can do this. Who of you that are savvy with the internet can step up to organize a group effort?

Keep in mind, today I can fly to Paris cheaper than I can fly to Missouri, oddly enough (of course ‘staying’ in Paris would be costly). Finding like minded folk who live closer to that state to volunteer with us is critical.

Elisa…are you following this thread? Can you advise how to proceed?

My email is dwandruff ‘at’ gmail.com

It is time for step two. Stand up and be counted.

Dorothy

Ruth, thank you. Your commitment is inspirational.

It seems that many Americans have lost heart for the battle to end declawing or they maybe feel it’s hopeless so don’t want to even try.
I had an email today from an American lady who has fought for 17 years and became very ill physically and mentally through doing so.
She said she found it impossible to get enough people to back her up and to write letters of protest etc.She is still struggling on, doing what she can, as are the other stalwarts over there too.
She thinks it is well nigh impossible that 100 people will join Michael to make a united stand and show the AVMA and declawing vets just what people think about their daily abuse of cats.
PLEASE everyone fit and able, prove her wrong, show her how many of you are willing to stand up and be counted.
It DOES work, we do it in our country, we will not be ignored when we know something is very wrong. My own late mother would be at every protest against animal abuse, her wheelchair and all !
Look out AVMA and declaw vets if she was still with us !!
We in the UK admire very much the volunteers so far, they are BRAVE, please be brave too.
Think of the millions of cats doomed to suffer as long as declawing goes on.
Only YOU can save them !

Merci beaucoup à Nathalie. S’il vous plaît signer
notre pétition et l’envoyer à chaque personne que vous savez qui aime les chats.
C’est une opération très cruel et nous voulons qu’elle soit déclarée illégale.

Je suis absolument contre le dégriffage pour les chats. C’est une horrible mutilation, inutile….c’est atroce et provoque une immense souffrance pour le chat.

I do get carried away by emotions too strong to bear because all I see in my mind is cats and little kittens tortured every day and not much happening to stop it.
Elisa has over a thousand friends on facebook who must hate animal abuse as she does and we do.
Therefore we can expect to see her and a thousand more volunteers for Michael’s protest.
Yes Ruth,I will step back now but I will watch with great interest to see how many Americans mean what they say.

Hi..I know we are going to be OK and keep together, judging by the comments. Great comments and thank you Kathleen. Your comment is very important and completely proper and correct, I feel.

If we are too make this work we should do as Kathleen suggests, difficult at times that it might be. I respect what Ruth says too. It is difficult to stay calm and not get angry. I for one am sometimes guilty of being a bit too angry!

It is a consequence of being an old (I feel it) male human and experiencing the sadness of animal abuse all around (it seems like this too me – perhaps I am over sensitive to it). Animal abuse depresses me and makes me angry. Anger can be useful though as it motivates and gives courage. But it must, as Kathleen so rightly says, be controlled and channeled for the betterment of the team and the objective.

I am aware of the sensitivity of people from one country towards opinions by people from another country. Our natural instinct is to say, “sod off mind you own business..”

However, I have always been blind to the country aspect of this problem. I don’t see country boundaries and neither does the cat. I see cats in a place where they are hurt unnecessarily in an authorised manner indicating a fundamentally flawed relationship between cat and some people. For me, it has to stop wherever it is. The declawing poll article I wrote indicates though that the substantial majority of Americans don’t like the declawing of cats. This is very good news.

We need to harness those massed emotions to stop it.

I agree with Kathleen but it’s very difficult to stay calm and nice when we’ve found that nice doesn’t always work. Yes we’ve saved well over 120 cats by educating people on-line, but what about the rest of the cats doomed to suffer ? Some people just will not be educated or don’t care that cats suffer.
You can tell the passion we decent English people feel about animal abuse by the recent case of Lola in the wheelie bin and the angry people wanting jutice done to Mary Bale on Lola’s behalf.
I think and I hope no one takes this the wrong way, that Americans take every thing phrased not quite right about the declawing battle, as criticism, because they feel guilty that declawing is happening in their country.
I felt ashamed to be an English woman the other day when I heard about Lola as every case of abuse reflects badly on us all.
I can well understand everyones anger and feeling of helplessness and I don’t want to fall out with anyone here or over there because doing that would ruin our goal, we need to work together to stop declawing.
Dorothy I wasn’t getting at you,sorry if you thought I was.I’ve had a few insults hurled at me over this too and being a sensitive person, I know how it hurts.
Maybe UK troops should step back from this protest being arranged, we can’t be there ourselves, apart from Michael of course and I for one am feeling very frustrated and guilty about that !

OK, I’m going to go ahead & say this, and I dearly hope none of you will take it the wrong way. I think that if we really want this demonstration to take place and for it to do GOOD for our movement, we need to commit to staying well behaved. It is inevitable that a demonstration like the one we are hoping for will draw unfavorable comparisons to anti-abortion protests, and so if we don’t want to get the WRONG kind of attention and turn people OFF, we must be better behaved than that. We must NOT speak of doing violence, even if we are only frustrated and venting. We must NOT resort to name calling, profanity, and the like. We must behave as ambassadors for the cats, with as much dignity and grace as they themselves display in the face of hardships. To do otherwise will be counterproductive in a country where people *already* don’t like to be told that they are doing anything wrong.
Personally, I did not read any “US bashing” into Michael’s recent comments on Facebook, but we must be careful of anything that Americans could even *misconstrue* that way. Unfortunately, the majority of Americans seem hypersensitive to any hint of criticism of our country, for a variety of geopolitical reasons, and we don’t want to fuel that fire- we want people to be open to listening to us.
I understand feelings of anger, feelings of urgency, and feelings of sadness and grief that cry out for justice on this issue as well as anyone. I am not trying to condemn or criticize anyone for anything they have said, here or elsewhere. But I do think taking the high road and letting the vets take the low road- as they have shown they will!- will work most to our advantage in the long run.

Well, I’m sorry folks. I did exactly as I say I would never want to do, and that is the ‘push against’ something. It was impulsive, and I’m sorry I said anything. It is true, it does bother me, as it seems so unnecessary, when all we want to do is help cats.

As for facebook and number of friends, it wasn’t meant to be a contest as to numbers of friends. Michael reaches tens of thousands of people daily, beyond facebook. I have a small friend list myself, but it is a great resource – I can catch up on all my favorite cat websites on one page. Michael’s notices on FB are very good, and it is easy to share them with one stroke of a key, and it goes to that many more folks. If everyone can get two people interested, then those two get two more, then two more, etc., There will be crowds. There needs to be awareness raising here on a quantum level regarding declawing, and facebook is a good tool, though just small one.

Are there readers from Missouri? If we can find cat defenders in Missouri we could perhaps have hundreds to join in.

There are thousands of cat protection organizations across the country, but there doesn’t seem to be an organized effort specifically against declawing that I know of.

This could be a great start. I hope Michael succeeds. I have great admiration for him.

I’m very sorry I started a ‘pissing match’. Frankly, I have so enjoyed Ruth and Barbara when they come out with both guns here on the POC defending our beloved cats. I never would have wanted it directed at me and my tiny arse. However, please accept my apology for venting – and lets stay focused on the important subject of protecting our furry friends who can’t protect themselves.

I’ll be busy seeking others who will join in the effort.

Dorothy

Hi Sue, I mentioned Elisa because I know she is pushing for more Facebook contacts and can help and she is a regular writer for PoC. But I also massively appreciate all people who come to this site and stay a while particularly those who contribute. And those who spread the word.

I treat all equally. The Adsense ads on the visitor’s submissions pages carries a little message of thanks. That has been there for a long time.

I do not want to upset people. I just want to help cats and be as fair as possible.

Trying to stop declawing is bound to ruffle some feathers because there are strong views about it.

Elisa Elisa Elisa
I don’t know why the rest of us bother.
The link is on more facebook pages than Elisas.
Before her buddies spring to say it’s jealousy,it’s not.
It’s dissatisfaction that other loyal regulars are pushed aside.Regulars who come what may stand up to be counted.
Not myself,I don’t contribute a lot but I am annoyed on their behalf.
Ever was it thus the more you do the less you are thought of.

Hi..sorry if what I said sounds like US bashing. It was not intended. The intent was to try and get people to sign up. Maybe I went about it the wrong way but I am getting desperate! I think I went about it in a pretty polite and delicate way.

I have only 46 friends on Facebook because I don’t agree to call people friends who I don’t know, at least in passing.

That, though, seems to be the wrong thing to do. I get asked to be friends but don’t accept unless it makes sense. And to call someone a “friend” you have at least to know them!

Anyway I admit to being a bit of a hermit! That is fine but I am prepared to come out of my hermitage and shout in America on behalf of cats.

This is not about America or my feelings about America (which, by the way, I like) but about cats and their mutilation by vets who happen to be in America. If it happened in England I would take the same attitude. It is irrelevant to me where declawing takes place.

I forgot to say that the link to this page has in fact be posted to hundreds of people as Elisa agreed to send it out to her friends and she is a great networker. Maggie also helped.

If Michael who needn’t trouble himself because he lives in a country where declawing doesn’t, and never did, happen can be bothered to protest, and some of the regular, dedicated troops are willing to go along surely out of that great big self assured country there are another 90 something people willing to stick their necks out and demonstrate at the AVMA meeting? Where are all the people who have admitted to declawing their cats and said they now regret it and will do all they can to help stop it?
Have you heard of or seen pictures of the protests outside laboratories that test on animals in England? Have you seen the crowds that amass and demonstrate against hunting? Did you see the outrage that the woman who put the cat in the bin in Coventry caused? Can you imagine what would be happening in England if anyone dared to offer the service of amputating a cat’s toes for someones convenience? They would be hung, drawn and quartered and rightly so. So why is it such a struggle to get 100 American people to stand up for cats against this disgusting, painful, ignorant, humiliating desecration of their bodies?

Michael is quite right to bash the USA, they need a wake up call and to get off their fat arses and fight this! Here is your chance, Michael is willing to organise it, get your names down….please!

PS I only have 27 friends on Facebook!

If it takes a bit of bashing to get enough people to stand up for abused cats then surely it’s worth it?
We in the UK admire the people over there trying to do something about it.
Susan is tireless in her rescue work and education on declawing and I’ve been told she does this at her own expense not only moneywise but healthwise too.
There are also the Paw Project,the non declaw vets such as Jean Hofve and others,brave Kathleen and more besides who need backing up.They need the public behind them,not sitting back leaving it all to them.
It surely isn’t much to ask 100 people to give a bit of their time to make up the numbers Micheal needs for a protest which would give great impact.

But Dorothy USA bashing is very necessary and I’d be ashamed to be American.
The horribly cruel cat abuse misnoned declawing has gone on for decades with only a few stalwarts struggling to save those pitiful creatures from having their lives destroyed by it.
THAT is what is uneccesary,the endless suffering of those cats.
I await with interest to see just how many over there are the cat lovers they say they are.
Don’t knock Michael again please or you will unleash the wrath of his many admirers.

The Animal Welfare Act was passed in 2006 and introduced in England and Wales in early 2007.
This included the pre-meditated abuse of cats by declawing.
BUT even before this law was passed,I don’t know of a single vet in the UK who would declaw a cat and I was a Vet nurse for many years.
I know this for a fact because only once someone asked and was told by our head Vet she wouldn’t find any vet in the entire British Isles to mutilate a cat that way.
I’m with Michael in that Americans need to stand up and be counted, I mean, look at this page, thousands will have read it but he only has SIX volunteers.This gentleman is prepared to stick his neck out financially and physically because he loves cats and can’t stand the thought of the endless suffering caused deliberately by declawing and not to try to do something about it.
Volunteers would be queueing up if this protest was going to happen in our country.
You can’t begin to know the frustration we feel that declawing is allowed to go on and not many people are prepared to try to stop it.Yes there are some very good and compassionate people, like you are Dorothy and it’s a shame that those who bury their heads or don’t care, let you down.
The number of abandoned petitions and people who start helping then fall by the wayside is horrific. Staying power is needed to fight animal abuse.
Finally, Michael may only have 46 friends on Facebook, I only have 20, but it’s quality not quantity which counts. As soon as that waste of time Farm game or other rubbish pops up from anyone, asking me to join them, they go !
PLEASE let’s not start bickering at each other,we all want the same thing, declawing STOPPED !

Good idea Susan. I will post it as well. It will get things moving. Unfortunately, Michael posted it on Facebook today with a slightly USA bashing message that we won’t stand up and be counted. That seems to happen here on the POC, and I think it is unnecessary. No doubt this country has a lot of losers, but I think by focusing on the number of good people there are gets better results. His ‘friend’ list is only 46 people, so I think if the rest of us who have facebook pages posted this we’d be surprised at the results. I hope so anyway. It would be nice to change the minds of our good friends in the UK.

I wonder when declawing was outlawed in the UK? (Ruth, do you know?) And how did they achieve it? It would be a good education for us.

We have the power of numbers, and I hope we can make this work. Keep up the good work!

Dorothy
California

I posted this link on my Facebook page and more people commented on my page that they wanted to participate! I think every week we need to post the link on every animal welfare Facebook page. Of course there are many people not on Facebook that I’m sure would want to take part in this. We most certainly need the heavy hitters there. So we obviously have to start crossposting this information to our email networks, yahoo groups, etc. I am very confident we can get MORE than 100 people to participate. We should contact the shelters & rescues in the St. Louis area especially and hope the enlightened ones will attend.

Here is to the AVMA convention in 2011! I’m starting a fund for it right now!

I just read the additional comments and this is just whats needed! The support has bought a huge smile to my face! Ruth is so right! You can’t ignore people power!

Come on Americans! more volunteers needed! All those of you who have been given no information from vets and deeply regret having you cats de-clawed nows the time to hit back!!! Stop them from doing it to others and their poor cats and kittens!!

I agree with Kathleen. July 2011 is not a bad timetable. Lets keep trying. Thanks Kathleen.

Well done volunteers !
This will be the best thing that can happen, to show you won’t allow this cruelty to go on any longer unchallenged.
UK and Australian troops are with you every step of the way in spirit, if not in the flesh.

Okay girl, you ROCK. That’s a good idea, and a location that could make an impact. Good thinking.

Count me in.

Dorothy
California
PS Watch out Michael. This could happen.

We have a full year to get organized if we make it our goal to do a protest outside the next AVMA convention in Saint Louis, Missouri. Lots of time to plan, raise awareness, and hopefully recruit help!!

Yes come on you guys,you owe it to Michael to back him up in this.
He’s sticking his neck out for YOUR country and all we can do in ours is watch and wait and hope you have the guts to help him.

Hi Kathy, Kathleen, Samanta, Susan, Dorothy, I love you for saying “Yes”.

I need more people, I feel. We need to make an impact and I don’t think 100 is that many considering there are 80 million domestic cats in the USA, 20 million of which are declawed.

What I will do it wait and keep trying. I will spread the word. I will keep your names on file, if I may. This may take time but it is a bit sad that the home page to this site has received about 35,000 hits this month and 40% of the visitors are from the USA. I would have hoped for more. I realize I am sticking my neck out here and liable to be shot down. But I don’t mind as I am doing this for these darling cats who are desperately and legally injured.

I want to kick a declawing vet’s arse and it is this and the deep sadness and immorality of declawing that motivates me.

How is this going Michael ?
Do you have only these few volunteers ?
I’ve sent this link to everyone I know in the USA but feel so awful I can’t help much more with this project.
Come on Americans PLEASE take this chance to let your voices be heard.

Michael you are a brave and kind man !
If this was in the UK you’d have volunteers queueing up for miles and I’d be one of the first. I do hope it’s the same in the USA.
Unfortunately as Leah says,finances stand in the way of most of us going over there with you and the many commitments we have too, to work,human and furry families and animal welfare.
This is a wonderful plan, people power is amazing, it won’t be ignored.
I wish you and your volunteers all the luck in the world.
PLEASE American cat lovers, back Michael up, he can’t do it alone.

I admire you Michael in more ways than I can say. You’re so right; these poor little souls need a voice, otherwise they are and always will be the unheard, brutalised 2nd class citizens of America and Canada.

I hate that woman in the UK with all my heart who put that cat in the bin but doesn’t that say it all? The story has swept across the world. She’s English but she has the attitude of so many declawers in America with ‘whats all the fuss about; it was just a cat’ well over here lady as you know know we won’t flaming well tolerate it! Can you imagine this happening in America? Wouldn’t even make the local news.

Michael I would go with you however its just finance that stands in my way but thank you for giving these poor cats a chance against a country that is hiding daily torture and cruelty behind lies and politics.

I am all for it, but it would have to be close to me. I am on a limited income because I care for so many cats.

If we can get this off the ground, I will certainly be there and can probably convince at least one or two friends to join me!!!

Count me in!! From Argentina

Count me in from Ohio!

Thanks Dorothy for being the first. I don’t expect to make this work but I must try. All who hate declawing should try I feel. We need to take risks as the status quo is too settled.

Of course I would join in, within reason. I’m sure you are correct that there are hundreds of thousands of people who are aghast at declawing here in the US. This is a huge country and education seems slow in the case of protecting cats from the money machine that is declawing. And stupid people who just don’t know better.

If it happens, we must make sure it gets a huge media hit.

I don’t really believe that “pushing against” something gets the wanted results. Sometimes it gives power to the wrong side, but in this case I think it might be the only way to get more peoples attention on this issue.

I won’t organize it, but I will work it. I hope you get lots of comments.

Dorothy
California