March 2016.

The bill in NY to ban declawing was defeated because the NYSVMS had more power and influence in NY. We needed the support of ALL the big animal welfare organizations to be able to convince the legislators how important this bill is for the welfare of cats!

 The New York State Veterinary Medical Association Society (NYSVMS) spent $98,000 on lobbyists and stopped this bill from passing![button href=”https://citythekitty.org/all-hands-and-paws-on-deck-for-the-ny-bill-to-ban-declawing/” color=”red”] NYSVMS wants to keep declawing legal[/button]

    Yep, these folks in the veterinary profession, who took an oath to help and heal animals, stopped this bill that was GOOD for the welfare of cats but bad for their pocketbooks. The majority of NYSVMS member vets and board members declaw cats and most of them do not counsel cat owners on the humane alternatives or how bad declawing is for a cat.

   The NYSVMS knows that declawing is bad for cats but many of their vets and board members make such good money from this inhumane procedure that they’ve lost their integrity to do the right thing and help us with this bill.

   The good news for next year and this bill, is that there are a lot of organizations that truly care about the welfare of cats over anything else and are supporting this bill. They are on the right side of cat history, they know the facts about declawing, and use their voice to be part of the solution to end this inhumane and unnecessary procedure. They want to help to protect ALL cats from this pain and suffering.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing – Edmund Burke

 Here are the noble ones who have said they are publicly supporting the Cat Protection Bill and actively working to get it passed.

THESE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE USING THEIR VOICE AND SPEAKING OUT TO END THIS ANIMAL CRUELTY. Alley Cat Allies even sent their person to Albany to try to get support for our bill.

New York State Humane Association (NYSHA), Alley Cat Allies, Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, The Paw Project, League of Humane Voters, NYCLASS, Central New York SPCA, Nassau County SPCA, Suffolk County SPCA, Ulster County SPCA, Golden Paw Society, Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, Long Beach Humane Society, Animal Haven, Patricia H. Ladew Foundation, Linda’s Feral Cat Assistance, Social Tees Animal Rescue, Ready for Rescue, All About Spay/Neuter, Zani’s Furry Friends, Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare, Anjellicle Cats Rescue, Give Me Shelter, K9 Kastle, Last Chance Animal Rescue, A Tail at A Time, Friendly Ferals, Posh Pets, Place for Cats, Brooklyn Animal Action,Cats Kittens NYC, Magnificat Cat Rescue and Rehoming.

There are also 132 compassionate and humane veterinarians from New York who have joined the list of those who are supporting this important bill. They are true advocates for animals and are thinking of the cat’s needs first and foremost.

To see the right and not to do it is cowardice – Confucius

I’m sad to say that three of the biggest voices for animals in NY are remaining silent on this bill to ban declawing, even though they all say that they oppose declawing.

ASPCA, North Shore Animal League, and Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Let me first start out by acknowledging all the GOOD that they do for the welfare of animals. But why aren’t they supporting a bill that would protect cats from this inhumane and mutilating procedure?

Here are the declawing  position statements and excerpts from each of them.

ASPCA-

“A cat’s claws can inflict considerable pain and damage to human and nonhuman animals alike. Cats who harbor the bacterium Bartonella henselae (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 40 percent of cats carry B. henselae at some point in their lives) can transmit a syndrome called Cat Scratch Disease (CSD) to people. Although typically a relatively mild infection, CSD can cause significant illness in people with compromised immune systems.
The ASPCA is strongly opposed to declawing cats for the convenience of their guardians. The only circumstance in which the procedure could be condoned would be if the health and safety of the guardian would be put at risk, as in the case of individuals with compromised immune systems or illnesses that cause them to be unusually susceptible to serious infections.”

(They have conveniently omitted important information from the CDC that is a fact and is also included in the declawing position statement of AAHA which says, “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not list declawing as a means of preventing disease in either healthy or immunocompromised individuals.” )

Let me educate all of these organizations with a modern mindset and facts about Cat Scratch Disease and immune compromised people, since they all condone declawing in those kind of situations. [button href=”https://citythekitty.org/declawing-and-cat-scratch-fever/” color=”orange”] Cat Scratch Disease & Health issues and declawing[/button]

UPDATE- ON MARCH 10, 2017 NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE ANNOUNCED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE NY ANTI-DECLAWING BILL! I ATTACHED THEIR LETTER OF SUPPORT AT THE END OF THIS STORY!!!

North Shore Animal League says in their mission statement that they want to,  “Advance the highest standards in animal welfare to create a more humane world for companion animals and to reduce animal cruelty.” North Shore Animal League Mission and Vision

Even their spokesperson Beth Stern said in an interview last year that she was “thrilled” to hear there is a bill to ban declawing in New York. [button href=”http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/highlight/54ca8d9278c90a33cd00072d”] Beth Stern commenting on the NY bill to ban declawing[/button]

 On Feb 3, 2105 I reached out to Kathleen Lynn, the Director of Communications at Animal League and she said, “

 ASPCA’s mission says, “Our organization was founded on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment at the hands of humans and must be protected under the law.”

They are all about ending animal cruelty and work hard to help these animals ASPCA Animal Cruelty Issues 

In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends – Martin Luther King, Jr.

 It makes me sad to think that this lack of support for this important Cat Protection bill is about something more than meets the eye? Why won’t they $upport a bill that would end this animal cruelty?

These are my questions and hopefully someone can give me the answer.

Are these organizations afraid to upset all of these greedy NY veterinarians who declaw cats? Are they just following the advice of the veterinarians they employ who are members of the NYSVM$ and don’t want to upset their colleagues? Do these organizations get donations from wealthy vets who make a lot of money from declawing cats?

These are questions that I would like to know the answers to so that I can make sense of their lack of support for this important bill for the welfare of cats.

To sin by silence, when we should protest, Makes cowards out of men- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

All they would have to do is simply say, “We support the bill in NY to ban declawing,”  like they did for many other bills that were about animal welfare. (See below)

What is a voice if you don’t use it to help the welfare of animals? 

My mom has even financially supported one of these organizations, the ASPCA, when they sent her something in the mail asking for help. She had seen their heartbreaking commercials and knew that animals were suffering and in need, so she gave what she could to help them.

Where were they when WE (and cats) need them the most?

 PLEASE REACH OUT TO THEM AND TRY TO GET AN ANSWER THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS BILL WILL PASS AND WE NEED THEM TO HELP US WITH THEIR SUPPORT.

North Shore Animal League email- [email protected]   (516) 883.7575 Ext 0

ASPCA email – [email protected] or (888) 666-2279

We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented- Elie Wiesel 

This is what both of these organizations personally told my mom.

The ASPCA spokesperson said this in December 2015 in an email to my mom, “Our organization is opposed to the inhumane practice of cat declawing and we think it’s really admirable that you and City the Kitty are working to raise awareness about this important issue. We are actually in the process of working with our experts to revise and update our position on declawing. In the meantime, we are refraining from participating in proactive advocacy on the issue.”

North Shore Animal League Director of Communications said this on March 11, 2016 in a voicemail to my mom, “I did speak with one of our veterinarians regarding the declawing law and I have to be very honest with you, we are not in favor of declawing in anyway, shape or form but as a not-for-profit animal rescue organization, we do not get involved with lobbyists or in creating policy, that’s just a policy of ours.”

And on March 15, 2016 she said this in another conversation with my mom, “As an organization, we do not condone declawing and are against it as a method of behavioral control.”

I asked her if they side with other bills or get involved with legislation.  She said, “We do not.”

To clear things up because I was still confused, I asked why they wouldn’t come out and simply say they support this bill. She wrote my mom back in an email and said this,

“There are over 100 pro-animal bills pending in Albany and thousands throughout the country.  North Shore Animal League America does not have a legislative program and it uses its resources on animal rescue, care and treatment, adoption, and humane education.

 On rare occasions when requested by a sponsor of a bill Animal League America will present a bill to its board for review and an opinion.

The language of bills changes very frequently and since Animal League America does not have a legislative program, support one day could be opposition the next if negative amendments are made, thus also making it more difficult for an organization without a legislative program to take positions on specific bills, rather than on issues generally.

Animal League America believes its resources are best used for rescue, adoption, humane education——and that Animal League America’s failure to take positions on specific bills does not mean Animal League America opposes the bills–if one used that rationale then it could be misconstrued that Animal League America opposes the many thousands of animal related bills pending in this country. We do not. Animal League America does not condone declawing and does not perform this procedure in its Medical Center. “

Cornell’s position on the declawing of cats is as follows:

The Cornell Feline Health Center and the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine are dedicated to the health and well-being of all cats. Both college and center are firmly opposed to declawing cats as elective surgery to prevent destructive scratching. Like the American Veterinary Medical Association, we emphasize educating owners about the surgery and assisting them in pursuing alternatives such as nail caps, scratching posts and behavior modification. We believe that declawing be considered as a last resort, and only in cases where the alternatives have failed and the cat is at risk of being euthanized or abandoned, or when the health of a member of the household could be endangered by cat scratches.

Best regards,

Claudia Wheatley, Sr. Public Affairs Officer, College of Veterinary Medicine Cornell University [email protected]  (607) 255-9451

 Below are some recent examples of  legislation the ASPCA and Animal League supported and felt were important… (Which I totally agree were important but why don’t they feel that declawing is an important issue?)

But guess what they did for the NY declawing bill.

Nothing. Silence. Nada. Zilch.

Do they not think that cat’s lives matter just as much as these other animals they are protecting from harm and cruelty?

Hundreds of cats are being harmed and suffering because of this unnecessary and mutilating procedure in NY and now it will continue. Hundreds of NY veterinarians are not counseling clients about how declawing is bad for a cat and on the humane alternatives. Hundreds of greedy NY veterinarians are making really good money from this mutilating procedure done to cats.

Yet they stay silent on this important issue involving cats.

Screenshots are from the website of North Shore Animal League

Some examples of legislation that the ASPCA  actively helped and supported. 

Screenshots are from ASPCA’s Press Releases page ASPCA Press Releases

Full ASPCA position statement here-
[button href=”http://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-declawing-cats” color=”red”] ASPCA’S Position Statement on Declawing[/button]

Here are some of the many examples of why we must pass this bill and end this cruelty and suffering with cats. 

Declawed Cats Suffering

Many Cats are declawed with no pain meds

Here is an example of how a veterinarian in NY trivializes this procedure.

Here is another veterinarian in Upstate New York that is promoting his laser declaw as painless and blood free and also offering it in the kitten wellness plans.

Here is another in Upstate NY that suggests declawing your kitten.

NORTH SHORE LETTER OF SUPPORT!