Denver May Outlaw Declawing Cats, Will Junction?
The city of Denver is considering a ban on the procedure know as Onychectomy, commonly know as cat declawing. Should Grand Junction do the same?
I'm not a cat person so I'm not the best to give an option on the matter so I won't. It's not that I dislike cats. I like them just fine, and I think they make great pets, I've just been a dog person all my life.
That being said, I didn't know the procedure came with so much controversy. I thought it was a fairly common practice. Did you know that declawing is already banned in Los Angeles? The state of New York is considering a statewide law against the procedure. The following countries have outlawed it all together: England, Scotland, Wales, Italy, France, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.
The ban the Denver City Council is considering this week would outlaw the procedure except in cases of a medical necessity. In the US, declawing is commonly performed to prevent damage to couches and other furniture. Many believe the act to be inhumane. Some declawed cats can be crippled for life. The procedure involves clipping off the toes on the front paws just above the first knuckle. Some pet owners have the rear paws done as well.
The city of Los Angeles claims that in the five years since the ban was enacted, the number of cats brought to shelters has decreased by more than 40 percent.
Credit: Fox Denver 31