Advocates Say Subaru’s Silence on the ASPCA’s Cat Declawing Issue Undermines “Subaru Loves Pets” Campaign.
Subaru’s “Subaru Loves Pets” October campaign, with its heartwarming dog-filled commercials and their 7th year of celebrating their “National Make a Dog’s Day” on Oct. 22nd, markets itself as a champion for all pets.
On Oct.1st, 2025, Subaru announced they were committing another 3.1 million dollars to the ASPCA and will have these events in their Subaru dealerships “to help ensure that animals in need can find loving homes in their communities.”
Yet, animal advocates expose Subaru’s glaring hypocrisy: their compassion vanishes for cats, as they pour $41M into the ASPCA while completely ignoring its baseless defense of declawing and the fact that their declawing position is a gift to declawing veterinarians and is helping them profit from this barbaric cruelty and causing unimaginable suffering to cats and many eventually lose their homes and are euthanized.
For five years, the nonprofit City the Kitty has urged Subaru to use its influence as the ASPCA’s largest corporate donor to demand that the ASPCA provide data that backs up their dangerous and false declawing position. https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-declawing-cats
Instead, Subaru has ignored city the Kitty’s outreach, while funding an organization whose declawing position has literally helped block bans on the procedure.
At the center is the ASPCA’s claim that “Legislation to make declawing illegal, while well-intentioned, can be problematic, because, in rare cases, the procedure may be justifiable as a last resort to prevent euthanasia.”
That excuse is not only false — but is dangerous to cats.
Unlike every other major veterinary and animal welfare organization in the world, the ASPCA continues to stand behind the euthanasia myth, despite not providing any data to back it up. The facts are that there is no real data that shows that declawing saves lives and the ASPCA is the only veterinary or animal welfare organization still clinging to the euthanasia excuse.
Veterinary groups say the opposite is true.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) removed this similar language that is from its 2003 declawing policy years ago because there is no real data to back it up. “Scientific data do indicate that cats that have destructive clawing behavior are more likely to be euthanatized, or more readily relinquished, released, or abandoned, thereby contributing to the homeless cat population. Where scratching behavior is an issue as to whether or not a particular cat can remain as an acceptable household pet in a particular home, surgical onychectomy(declawing) may be considered.”
The American Association of Feline Practitioners states: “There is no current peer-reviewed data definitively proving that cats with destructive behavior are more likely to be euthanized, abandoned or relinquished. The decision of whether or not to declaw should not be impacted by these considerations.”
Banfield Pet Hospital, the nation’s largest veterinary chain, said this in 2020 when they banned declawing in all their clinics: “Current evidence does not support the use of elective declawing surgery as an alternative to relinquishment, abandonment, or euthanasia.”
VCA’s information in 2020 when they banned declawing in all their vet clinics. Studies show that owners intolerant of scratching are likely also intolerant of other behaviors like house soiling or biting, which are common consequences of declawing. Declawing often causes cats to avoid litter boxes due to pain from amputated toe nubs and may lead to increased biting as a defensive response. These behaviors—house soiling and aggression—are the top reasons for cat relinquishment to shelters, not scratching, which is far less common. Thus, declawing does not prevent euthanasia but may increase its likelihood by causing worse behavioral issues.
Shelter data shows declawing often causes cats to lose their homes.
Surveys in Louisiana and Delaware found that 70 to 75 percent of cats surrendered for behavioral issues were declawed. In New Jersey, a county shelter reported that 80 percent of surrendered declawed cats were euthanized due to litter box avoidance and biting — both common complications of declawing.
Scientific Research Has Stacked Up Against Declawing.
A 2025 Université de Montréal study found that declawed cats suffer more pain than cats with arthritis, with evidence of nerve damage and permanent mobility problems. A 2017 study in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery found declawed cats were three times more likely to suffer back pain, 4.5 times more likely to bite, and seven times more likely to avoid the litter box.
A City the Kitty representative in March 2025 told the ASPCA’s director of donor communications in a call that was recorded by the ASPCA that their declawing prevents euthanasia position is not backed up with data. She said, “Actually you’re saying that it’s not backed up by data, that’s not what we’re saying.” City the Kitty asked why won’t she provide this data and she said, “I don’t have to.”
Advocates warn that the ASPCA’s outdated stance is not just an internal problem, it’s actively harmful to cats.
Pro-declaw veterinary lobbyists have repeatedly cited the ASPCA’s flawed declawing position to block anti-declawing laws in Arizona, Illinois, and Wyoming.
Here is the video of the lobbyist for the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association using the ASPCA’s declawing position in her testimony against the anti-declawing bill in that state. She started by saying, “Organizations such as the ASPCA which is dedicated to preventing cruelty share our concerns, their position….” and then went on to read the ASPCA’s part about legislation being problematic because in rare cases, declawing could be justified to prevent euthanasia.
Her testimony was misleading, as no other organizations rely on this outdated and baseless myth to justify this barbaric animal cruelty. NONE.
“Declawing is indefensible. The ASPCA’s position is a gift to veterinarians who profit from mutilating cats, and Subaru has seen the proof,” City the Kitty said in a statement. “By ignoring this issue, Subaru has shown it does not care about the welfare of cats.”
Animal advocates argue Subaru could force change by demanding accountability from its nonprofit partner.
As the ASPCA’s #1 donor, they say Subaru should insist on data to support the group’s claims or redirect its donations to local shelters that actually help find homes for all pets.
Animal advocates argue Subaru could force change by demanding accountability from its nonprofit partner. As the ASPCA’s #1 donor, they say Subaru has a responsibility to act.
Instead of funding a group whose dangerous position is actively used by veterinary lobbyists to block anti-declawing laws in states like Arizona, Illinois, and Wyoming, advocates say Subaru should demand the ASPCA produce data to support its euthanasia claim.
If the ASPCA cannot provide it, Subaru should redirect its donations to local shelters that truly save lives by finding homes for ALL pets and who don’t help declawing veterinarians profit from this animal cruelty.
“If Subaru insists on looking the other way to this serious animal welfare issue and continues funding an organization that enables this cruelty, it should stop pretending,” City the Kitty said. “Change the campaign to ‘Subaru Loves Dogs.’ Because clearly, Subaru has shown it does not love cats.”
Please email Subaru this note.
Subaru please demand data that shows that declawing prevents euthanasia from the ASPCA and if they have no data, tell them you will redirect your funding to local shelters. If you continue to look the other way, you should name your campaign, “Subaru Loves Dogs.”
Email- Danton@subaru.com and Aleiter@subaru.com
Please sign our petition to Subaru.