This is a very quick note to report that the state of Rhode Island is the third US state to discuss a possible ban on cat declawing. The other two states are New York and New Jersey. In Rhode Island, senators Elaine Morgan, Thomas Paolino, Dominick Ruggerio, Leonidas Raptakis and Maryellen Goodwin are sponsoring Bill 2296. It is a bipartisan Bill.
The very fact that the governments of these states are discussing a ban is excellent news. I pray that one of them enacts one of their Bills so that it becomes law and then I pray also that a domino effect is created and that other states follow suit. And then maybe, just maybe there will be a ripple effect across the country so that what can only be described as a barbaric practice is finished forever in a country where the cat is loved and where veterinarians are generally good but they seem to have gone off the rails slightly and lost their moral compass in deciding that cat declawing is acceptable for non-therapeutic purposes which is why it is done 99% of the time.
Until now only cities have discussed declawing bans and eight cities followed through and created law which bans it. They are all in California. Cat lovers have been very patient in waiting for the next breakthrough. It’s been a long wait – 8 years since the last city, Burbank, banned it.
Ban Necessary and overdue
Sadly, there is no or very little chance that veterinarians in America will voluntarily decide to stop this practice. And therefore a ban is necessary which is regrettable. It doesn’t do the image of veterinarians any good to be forcibly stopped from declawing. It indicates that they are out of touch with the citizens of the states through their elected representatives. Times are changing. Attitudes are evolving.
There’s been a lot of discussion about cat declawing over the years and I know a lot about this subject. I have monitored it over more than several years and written hundreds of articles about it and I can sense that there is a general shift against declawing.
The province of Nova Scotia in Canada is the first jurisdiction larger than a city to ban declawing and well done to them. Please God can we see a breakthrough? It’s time, it is well beyond time. This practice has been going on in this cat loving country for 65 years during which time millions of young cats have suffered terribly for no other reason other than their owner wanted the operation done.
Billions of dollars have been made and pocketed by the veterinarians. I understand that they have to make a good living. They are well trained and they have overheads. They carry huge debts when newly qualified because of the cost of training. I don’t think it is always about greed to be honest. It’s about trying to make a decent living but cat declawing is not the way to make it. It can never be justified. It is a stain on the reputation of America’s veterinarians. Please stop it. I pray you stop it.
Source: EcoRI News.
YAY! I pray it passes and becomes a viral trend across the United States. Thanks for sharing!