It is with an elated heart that I can report that VCA Canada animal hospitals have stopped declawing cats. This is a big advance in stopping declawing across the entirely of Canada because this chain of animal hospitals comprises 90+ hospitals, 350+ vets, 525+ certified specialists across 5 provinces. Nova Scotia and British Columbia has already banned declawing. There may be an overlap but the VCA website fails to pinpoint their hospitals.
It is interesting that VCA Animal Hospitals are also present in great numbers in the US. Am I being too naively optimistic that the VCA chain of hospitals in the US will follow suit at some time in the future?
Lobbying
The announcement that VCA Canada animal hospitals have stopped declawing cats comes from The Paw Project Facebook page. Jennifer Conrad and Paw Project-British Columbia Director Dr. Margie Scherk have been lobbying VCA Corporate Medical Director Dr. Todd Tams for years. It’s has been worthwhile. It took persistence. Persistence is a great tool in achieving success particularly in removing entrenched attitudes.
It is possible to envisage the removal of cat declawing from the veterinary landscape in Canada. This would be an awesome result as it would put pressure on its neighbor, the USA. Clearly dinosaur attitudes are more deeply embedded in America among the veterinary community. Their time will come though. It is a question of time.
Big Step – Tears
“…a big step, but the right thing to do for certain…our doctors and teams in Canada have been hugely supportive. I had a RVT at my clinic in tears today she was so proud of our group.” Danny Joffe DVM, DABVP, National Medical Director, VCA Canada
Yay Canada!!! Kudos and props to all of you in the north!!! I wish the USA would soon follow suit. I was born in Canada; Windsor, ONT.
This is wonderful! I am hoping for some serious mission creep to happen via their clinics over the border and out into the rest of the USA.
Well done, huge props to all who continue to fight to outlaw this grotesque mutilation of our wonderful feline friends!
Hear, hear.