Bill to Ban Cat Declawing Gains Support Before Senate Committee Votes
AB 2606 passed 60-5 last month in the Assembly
By Evan Symon, June 17, 2022 4:32 pm
A bill that would ban cat declawing, surgical claw removal, or tendonectomy procedures on cats has had support continue to row both amongst lawmakers and the public following it’s passage in the Assembly late last month.
Assembly Bill 2606, authored by Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Boyle Heights), would prohibit a person from performing surgical claw removal, declawing, or a tendonectomy on any cat in the state. The only exception would be for therapeutic purposes, which the bill defines as a “medically necessary procedure to address an existing or recurring infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition in the claw that jeopardizes the cat’s health”. Those who perform the procedure will be fined $500 for the first violation, $1,000 for the second, and $2,500 for every violation after.
The bill was written by Assemblywoman Carrillo due to the negative effects it has on cats, including paw pain, infection, tissue death, back pain, and other negative long-term effects due to it being an amputation of the last joint of their toes.
“Inhumane procedures still exist in California for our feline friends,” said Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo. “Unlike human nails which grow from skin, cat claws grow from the bone. Declawing a cat is a cruel and painful series of amputations with absolutely no benefit. It leaves a cat defenseless. It’s time to end this practice in California. I’m proud the City of Los Angeles has already banned this practice and I’m hopeful the state can follow suit.”
Eight Californian cities (Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Culver City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Santa Monica, and West Hollywood) already have declawing bans, as do two states (New York, Maryland), eight Canadian provinces, and numerous countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Israel, Sweden, and Ireland.
Since being introduced in February, AB 2606 has been either unanimously or nearly unanimously been passed. In the Assembly vote in May, the bill passed 60-5, with 13 abstentions.
I respectfully request a meow vote.
???? ????⬛ #AB2606 which prohibits the cruel and inhumane practice of cat declawing (unless medically necessary) is headed to the Senate! #CALegThank you, @pawproject for your advocacy.???? #stopdeclawing pic.twitter.com/XJc03t9U6c
— Wendy Carrillo (@AsmCarrillo) May 26, 2022
While those in favor of declawing have noted many benefits, including property damage prevention and scratch protection, support for AB 2606 has quickly grown since being introduced, with animal abuse groups, veterinarian groups, and others coming out in favor.
“We’ve seen a huge turnaround on public thought on this, even within the last few months,” said veterinarian Dr. Kelly Shea to the Globe on Friday. “Cat declawing is literally amputating part of their paw. On a human, it would be like cutting off your fingers to the first knuckle to stop fingernail growth. We just wouldn’t do it. And unlike other procedures, like neutering which have more widespread benefits, declawing, at least most people, no longer has as many pros than cons nowadays. It is being seen more and more as animal cruelty.
“A few years ago, we wouldn’t have made this happen. But things are changing fast.”
It has also been noticed in Sacramento.
“I was surprised just how many Assembly members and Senators have come out in favor of this,” explained Capitol staffer “Dana” to the Globe on Friday. “In February it was looking on the fence but now, wow, just look at the vote totals. A lot of pet lovers out there writing their state leaders. And it’s not over yet. A lot of Senators and the Governor will hear about this when it comes time to decide on how to vote and if to sign.”
AB 2606 is expected to be heard in the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee in the coming months.
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These legislators have too much time on their hands if they are passing laws like this.
I have an idea! How about blocking physicians from performing Frankenstein-like transgender surgeries and issuing hormone-blockers on teenagers that cause untold psychic and physical pain and agony and can never ever be turned around? But you people are okay with that.
Unbelievable.
If a UK commenter is correct, and this has been illegal for more than 50 years, then maybe they are catching up?
but they also have their attention to the children, Homeless, Drugs and corruption in the state distracted..
Anyone catching on yet? Quit reelecting Incumbents..
As soon as they uncover the voter fraud they have enabled in this state, Californians may return to something resembling sense..
We would pray for you, if it was allowed.
Let me see if I understand this correctly, it will become against the law to declaw your cat, but you can kill a baby up to time of birth and possibly later if AB2223 passes. You think people are really this stupid or just trying to see how far they can go before people say enough.
Gotta admit – I’m down with this one, but it IS something that I would figure would come up AFTER the water (mis)management, energy issues and other CRUCIAL problens facing California had been adequately addressed….
Too difficult to solve the REAL problems and issues that confound California, Democrats???
At least the cats will thank you and vote for you in November… I’m pretty sure they’ve been registered to vote by their Democrat owners….
That’s so funny CD9 — cats voting Dem —- I’m sure they do, and now I have a cartoonish mental image that I can’t shake.
I definitely don’t want to see cruelty to animals and I sure as heck don’t want cats to be defenseless, but I have a sneaking suspicion as I always do with Dem legislation: Is this still even an issue or is it pandering to voters who mistakenly THINK it is still a big issue through the false-fact rumor mill? Is there a swath of cruel veterinarians out there who are de-clawing cats? Is there a huge percentage of cat owners who are not yet aware of the downside of this? Or…. is there one mythical cat who was once declawed and her clueless owner let her run around outside with the coyotes? If I had the time and inclination I would research this. Call me crazy, I am always suspicious of the Dems and their virtue-signaling…. (and I know you are too). 🙂
The crazy-lazy Dem faction is incapable of doing anything hard or serious when it comes to California’s priorities.
One of the few things California has done I agree with. Cats are digitgrade, they literally stand on their toes. The phalanges, toe bones, are what they are standing on. The last bone, the claw grows out of, but it is also the bone that is the base of the toe pad. Cut that off, and the cat is literally standing on severed bone. Veterinarians that do it, do it for the money.