Burbank Anti De-Clawing Ordinance

Thanks Michael.Well done Burbank, though how one person could possibly object to a ban is beyond the comprehension of compassionate caring people.
Declawing should be banned in the entire USA !

Burbank City Council voted 4-1 to ban declawing and became the 8th city in the USA (all in California) to ban this nasty practice.

A veterinarian, Armaiti May, speaking for the ban said that: It's gotten to the point where the veterinarian profession has failed to educate itself

Well done Armaiti May. The list now is as follows:

I am told by Ruth that Culver City has passed a bill to ban declawing in a 5 - 0 vote. Well done Culver City councilors. Now come on Burbank. You know it is the right thing don't you?

It always amuses me that the pro-declawers insist on labelling those who oppose this act of animal cruelty as "animal activists" or "Peta members".

I bet the members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, or any of the vets whose countries signed up to European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals treaty, are dismayed and disgusted by the conduct of some of their counterparts in the USA and Canada. It says a lot about the caring nature of European vets that they refused to perform declawing long before it was officially made illegal. If North American vets had the same compassion for animals they would already be educating their clients on the many humane alternatives to declawing.

Thankfully more vets in the USA are now brave enough to stand up and speak the truth about declawing - that it is an unnecessary mutilation. I only wish we would inject a truth serum into those who are steadfastly refusing to put the welfare of their patients above financial gain and the demands of people not suited to keeping a cat in the first place.

Inappropriate toileting is the number one reason worldwide for cats being relinquished to shelters, not scratching. There is no empirical data to prove that if a declawing ban were put in place that more cats would be surrendered to shelters. A ban would however, guarantee that only genuine cat lovers who're prepared to teach a cat claw manners will adopt them. Surely, anyone who understands and accepts natural cat behaviour is the ideal candidate to keep one and the dream home that cats would choose to live in if they were given a choice.

Some people must have a mighty high opinion of themselves if they honestly think that a cat would gladly suffer the painful amputation of their toes in order to be able live in their home!

I'm praying that Burbank councilmembers are as enlighted as they are in the other Californian cities which have already banned declawing.

There is already enough animal cruelty in modern society, without encouraging people to inflict it upon the pets they claim to love and care for.

Michele (UK)

When I adopted Tootsie from a rescue place (Tootsie has fine claws) I learned that most of the "returned" rescue cats (they have a "return/ exchange" policy whatever that means) were de-clawed cats. And, the problem was that the cat didn't like to use the litter box. Well, duh.

Everycat was so on the "money" re: the role of vets in this. I say this because of an article I just found via the Google.

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13795417
Fisher: Opponents of declawing cats show their claws

The author gets really defensive, in response to a challenge: (snip from article below):

~~~Poly: "So, when is Patty Fisher going to come out of her self-defensive or ignorant coma and print another column ? this time with facts about declawing and with the proper apology for irresponsibly misleading the public??"

The real facts

OK, Poly, here are the facts. Not the myths and rumors passed off as facts by animal activists, but actual facts.

You see, I do research my columns. For facts on declawing, I went to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Feline Practitioners and other medical professionals.

These organizations don't promote declawing, but they oppose a ban because declawing prevents many people from abandoning their cats. And, they say, there is no solid scientific evidence showing that declawing has long-term negative effects on cats. What activists call "facts" are hearsay and bits of data from studies taken out of context.

Yet based on this hysteria and false information, cities up and down California are banning this practice.

Several veterinarians thanked me for my column.~~~

Yep, I bet they did.

VG

Well said Laura - spot on. It is time to change. Declawing is a blot on the American copybook. And the vets are ultimately to blame. They just got caught up in the American dream - making money and going too far.

Finally, the USA is starting to realize that declawing a cat is not an acceptable option. I applaud the forward thinking cities of California that have already recognized this and have passed bans prohibiting this awful practice. Here comes Burbank up to the plate now, and it's time for you to show that you're just as opposed to the abuse of declawing.

Declawing is prohibited in many civilized countries in the world. The USA considers itself a leader, so why are we lagging so far behind on this issue? I'm afraid much of it is because vets who perform declawing make a LOT of money from it. BILLIONS of dollars in fact. The almighty dollar has clouded their judgement, and their oath to protect the animals that they serve. They say that if people want it, they must perform it. The problem is that if those same vets would educate the people, teach them what declawing really is and the complications it can cause, then the people wouldn't want it and they don't make the money. That's why vets choose to keep people in the dark, and that's why we need legislation to stop the viscious cycle.

Burbank, show us what you're made of. Show us that you understand how cruel and unneccessary declawing is. Hit that home run and vote to ban declawing.

You beautifully condensed into one sentence, my feelings about Burbank now considering joining other cities in California that have already instituted a ban on declawing cats.

"All decent people with common sense and a caring attitude will want a ban and the council members should be this kind of person - that is their role, their job."

There is a huge difference between cat owners and cat lovers. We who love our cats would never want to subject our felines to such a cruel and inhumane procedure. Cats need their claws! It is a myth that declawed cats can keep their homes, when a huge number end up in shelters anyway, since the pain and anguish that this surgery causes can result in inappropriate elimination, biting and aggressive behavior, and those surrended often are euthanized as they are not suitable for adoption.

I feel that cat owners that declaw their cats have been "brainwashed" by the veterinary profession and told that this surgery makes them better pets. There is no medical reason to declaw a cat, so practitioners that do this are actually violating their oath to do no harm. Much harm has been done, and it is irreversible.

I do hope that Burbank will join the other cities in their state that are forward and humane thinkers. Their council members prove to me that they are, indeed, cat lovers.

Thanks for your article.

A brilliant informative honest look at the wrongfullness of declawing and some educated replies to it too.
I was born into a household with cats, grew up with them and now have cats of my own and the very idea of mutilating these beautiful creatures by removing their very essential claws is abhorent man.No one in our country ever did this disgusting thing, it is totally without justification.
There is loads of evidence that declawing stops cats from living life as they should.How can the AVMA and at present the CVMA also,condone this and allow the Veterinarians who perform this cruel procedure to get away with it any longer ?
I for one am a happy man that I live in a country where animal abuse is illegal, because thats what declawing is, without doubt.
I am happy too to see some Cities banning declawing and I hope very much Burbank will join these enlightened people when they vote.

Brilliant comments from supportive and thoughtful people. Fantastic. The vets can't write with such conviction and clarity because they have no arguments except the usual hollow platitudes and clichés that they roll out.

Those who oppose a ban on this crippling surgery are often those who make the most money from it, the very same people who should have the welfare of the animal as a priority when considering any procedure - vets. Yes, vets.

A ban is needed because the CVMA have made it clear by funding legislation to stop future bans that they are protecting the financial interests of vets (their members) and not the welfare of cats.

This attitude keeps american cat owners ignorant (about the nature of their animals) and coughing up the cash to pay for declaws and the subsequent and myriad health and psychological health problems that declawed cats endure.

A ban will stop owners being able to declaw their cats, vets will have to start educating cat owners about how to live with fully clawed cats and train cats humanely to have good claw manners. A ban will improve the welfare of the cats in Burbank.

It's similar to the way other bans have worked - smokers now give up smoking because they can't smoke in public places. Sexist employers have to employ women and those with disabilities,when previously they could discriminate against them. The homophobic can no longer get away with their hate crimes, the same with racists.

Burbank Councillors, you have the power to mark your city as a modern, humane city that truely cares about the welfare of cats and other animals by voting for this ban. You are in a position to show the rest of the USA that you will not tolerate the wholesale mutilation of cats for the purposes of convenience and swelling the bank balances of corrupt vets.

Please do the right thing, please vote for the ban.

I hope the Burbank voters have done some research on declawing and know how horrific the procedure is for cats and the lifetime of problems it often causes. Because in my opinion, anyone who votes against a ban on this cruel amputation of cats toe joints must not like animals at all.
It seems to me to be to some people about not wanting another law whereas it should be about the abuse of innocent kittens and cats.
Very soon, the whole of the USA will follow the brave compassionate city voters in this. Burbank could be pioneers and much respected by the rest of the countries of the world where declawing is already illegal.
It's a sad day when Veterinarians agree, in fact advertise, to harm cats instead of helping them. They have caused this need for a new law because of not following the AVMA's last resort guidelines.

There has to be compassionate citizens in every city of every state of the USA so surely when the news of these bans spreads and people read and learn about just what exactly our arguments against declawing are, and see for themselves that other cities have taken it seriously enough to stop it by law,then they are going to start and think about it themselves and maybe come to realise that declawing maybe isn't the best thing since sliced bread after all.
I applaud these cities for making a stand and drawing attention to, and banning,the hideous procedure stupidly named "declawing", if everyone just sat around and said "Oh they'll go to the next city" then apathy would win and cats would continue to be mutilated ad infinitum. Good on the city councillors, I pray that Burbank and Culver City vote ban it this week.

How I agree ! They are very poor arguments not to have a ban on declawing ! Most people who didn't want a cat unless it could be declawed simply wouldn't have a cat.They can't be bothered to teach their cat to use a scratching post so they probably wouldn't go to the trouble of travelling out of the area to have their cat adapted.
The solution is so simple, if vets stuck to their oath to harm no animal and adhered to the declawing as last resort policy, the law wouldn't have to tell them what to do. But whilst these corrupt vets are advertising declawing, offering neuter/declaw packages,instructing their staff to sell declawing to their clients,etc, the only way forward is by banning declawing completely.

http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4312 (new window)

And not just in California Cities but across the whole of the USA.
The civilised world is watching you America !

Sure, if a ban on declawing is enforced, some people will take their cats elsewhere to have this disgusting operation performed. It's like when female circumcision was banned here in Denmark, some Somalian parents started bringing their daughters back home to have it done.
The point in both cases is however that it's only some - and probably just a small minority that are very hard to reach anyway. The laws should not be made to suit these molestors.
What is so outraging about declawing is when it is offered alongside the vaccination and neutering, which every responsible cat owner will visit their vet about. This way many are lured into having their cat declawed, because they think it's the common thing to do. It's not!
Once declawing has been outlawed in Burbank and other cities, an end will be put to the routine declawings. From then on only cat owners who are diehard believers in declawing will take the trouble and expense to have their cat fixed in another city or state - or eventually in another part of the World.