Dr Wayne Anderson, owner of AzPet Vet group, testified in opposition to the anti-declawing bill in Arizona. He said that declaws in his practices are rarely performed, maybe one or two a year. Our research shows that declawing is a routine procedure in many of his practices according to the employees that work there.
Here’s a letter of opposition to the 2021 Arizona Anti-declaw bill, HB 2626, from Emily Kane, the Exec. Director of the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association. (She is NOT a veterinarian.)
May 2019 This is a story about a veterinarian, Dr Jerry Owens, and his opinions about declawing. Owens, 72, will be the President of
Multiple animal medical and welfare organizations have issued statements against declawing, including the American Association of Feline Practitioners, the American Animal Hospital Association, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. Fourteen jurisdictions have seen fit to ban the procedure. Even a major veterinary hospital chain, VCA, stopped declawing a year ago throughout Canada.
Now it is time for California to pass this important legislation and join the worldwide humane movement against declawing.
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.”
The California Veterinary Medical Association stopped the 2018 anti-declawing bill. Canadian veterinarians in British Columbia voted to ban declawing in May 2018.
When cats start walking on their balls then we will start believing the NJVMA’s spokesvet Dr Yurkus and his animal hospital that declawing isn’t more painful than neutering.
Meanwhile, the American Association of Feline Practitioners’ policy on declawing states:
“Physically, regardless of the method used, onychectomy causes a higher level of pain than spays and neuters. Patients may experience both adaptive and maladaptive pain; in addition to inflammatory pain, there is the potential to develop long-term neuropathic or central pain if the pain is inadequately managed during the perioperative and healing periods.” [AAFP Policy Statement on Declawing, 2007.]
February 2023 Update. Dr Michael Yurkus, 2017-18 President of the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association, is still declawing cats according to an employee at his
Of the 97 vets who perform declaws in this study, 72% said they do them frequently, commonly, often, routinely, or on a regular basis and more than one a month.
21% said they just do around one a month, very few or not often.
7% wouldn’t say how many they do.
Only 12% offered or suggested alternatives or asked why the cat owner wanted to declaw his or her cat.
Let’s thank the NYSVMS for reminding us that we must use our VOICES and EDUCATE the public and CAT OWNERS that DECLAWING is ANIMAL AB– USE and that we must protect all cats from LICENSED VETs who are doing this mutilating and inhumane procedure!