I’m really happy about this story. I have hope that this is the path that ALL veterinarians will take someday soon.

This is a story about change for the better and to me it signifies hope. Hope that soon all veterinarians in America will honor their oath to ease the suffering in animals and will not perform declawing.

Screenshot from her website, bayviewveterinary.net

Dr Susie McKnight purchased BayView Veterinary Hospital in Panama City, Florida from a vet that had owned it for 30 years.  Throughout his career, I’m sure that old school vet helped heal a lot of animals, but unfortunately he also declawed cats. He recently purchased a laser and even promoted his laser declawing on his facebook page and in a YouTube video. Thankfully he retired.

When I reached out to Dr McKnight to ask her why she chose to not declaw cats in her AAHA hospital, she said, “What it boiled down to for me was I wanted to spend my time focusing on helping our animal companions feel their best and live the longest and healthiest life possible. Those type of procedures fall outside of the scope of what I wanted to achieve with my professional career when everything is said and done and I retire from medicine.”

She simply did the right thing and took the ethical path of NOT performing this inhumane and harmful procedure of declawing at her veterinary practice.

Please give her a big thank you and high paws for being an ethical and humane no-declaw veterinarian! Here’s her facebook page [button href=”https://www.facebook.com/BayviewVeterinary/” newwindow=”yes”] Bayview veterinary hospital facebook page[/button]

Hopefully someday soon, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) will do the right thing and stop allowing declawing in all their “Standard of Excellence” hospitals.

What would be even better if all veterinarians just did the right thing like Dr McKnight did and that is to be a true advocate for animals who thinks of their needs first and foremost.