Category: How The Veterinary Associations Stopped the Anti-Declawing Legislation

Why Did Six Republican Legislators Kill the 2023 Anti-declawing Bill in Virginia? Follow the Money.

6 Republican legislators in the VA Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources committee voted to kill the anti-declawing bill in Virginia today.

4 Democrat legislators in that committee voted in support of this bill, HB 1382.

All the big humane animal welfare organizations like the Pawproject.org, HSUS, Alley Cat Allies, and many others in Virginia testified in support of this bill and how declawing is inhumane and never necessary.

The only opposition to this bill was from Susan Seward, lobbyist for the Virginia veterinary medical association and Heidi Crosky with the Virginia Animal Owners Alliance

The VVMA used the human health excuse and HIV patients and a worker at a biohazard lab as to why declawing shouldn’t be banned.

Heidi Crosky with Virginia Animal Owners Alliance used the human health excuse as to why they don’t want declawing banned.

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How 5 pro-declawing veterinarians caused Delaware to maintain animal cruelty as the status quo.

Five Delaware veterinarians killed a 2022 Delaware anti-cruelty bill, which was written to protect cats by ending declawing, an inhumane and unnecessary amputation of cats’ toe bones.
Dr Michelle Crosier, owner of Companion Animal Veterinary Associates in Middletown, DE. She is a Fear Free Certified veterinarian.
Dr Erin Giebel Whaley, Dr Andrea Richter, and Dr Robert Pedigo, all associated with Savannah Animal Hospital. Lewes, DE which is an AAHA hospital that declaws cats. Dr Whaley is a co-owner of the hospital and Dr Pedigo and Dr Richter retired from Savannah Animal Hospital in November of 2021.
Dr Jan Sosnowski, NVA practice, Governor’s Avenue Animal Hospital, Dover, DE that declaws cats. According to 2 employees at this practice, Dr Sosnowski declaws cats. She is a Fear Free Certified veterinarian and Fear Free does not allow their vets or practices to declaw cats.

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The ASPCA Doesn’t Want Declawing Banned & Their Position Statement is Being Used to Stop Anti-declawing bills.

City the Kitty is calling on animal lovers across the world to investigate the ASPCA on why they do not want declawing banned and why they have a declawing position statement that is on the side of declawing veterinarians and not cats.
If the ASPCA has a declawing position statement that completely condemns this animal cruelty (declawing) and helps pass laws to ban it, then more cats would be protected from this inhumane, cruel, and very harmful amputation procedure.

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AAHA Veterinarians Fight to Stop The Anti-Declawing Bills. AAHA.org Won’t Stop Them.

Here are some examples of how the vets with AAHA Accredited Animal Hospital’s fight to stop the anti-declawing bills and ordinances.
Dr Lynn McEwan of Palmdale veterinary hospital, an AAHA accredited animal hospital, submitted this letter of opposition to the California bill to ban declawing in 2018.
In August 2021, another AAHA veterinarian, Dr Peter Pelissier testified to the Sheridan, WY City Council and Mayor about why he opposes the declaw ban amendment to the animal cruelty/abuse ordinance. Here’s his full testimony.  He was not truthful with some of his information. This declaw ban amendment was stopped by a 5-2 vote. One of the Sheridan City Council members told us that he voted no because of Dr Pelissier’s testimony. 

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The Austin Anti-Declawing Bill. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Dr Gina Vance, President of the Capital Area Veterinary Medical Association, went on to say, “The decision to perform any veterinary treatment or therapy should be made by the pet owner and the veterinarian on a case-by-case basis within the context of a veterinary doctor client patient relationship.”

A Councilman asked Dr Vance, “Is elective declawing for non-medical reasons a treatment or therapy?”

Dr Gina Vance replied, “It can be considered a behavioral treatment.”
Dr Gina Vance also stated, “We try everything we can to talk people out of it.”

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