Legislation to ban cat-declawing introduced by Manhattan Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal
ALBANY — Manhattan Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, one of the Legislature's most prolific writers of bills to protect animals, is trying to stop cat declawing.
Rosenthal, a Democrat, has introduced legislation to ban the feline procedure unless it is done to remove a tumor or other medical reasons.
"It's like taking off your first knuckle," Rosenthal said. "(Cats) are born with claws and they are meant to have claws. It's cruel to remove them for the sake of human convenience and saving your furniture.
Rosenthal's bill, which has not been introduced in the state Senate yet, is backed by the Humane Society of New York and the Paw Project, a California-based group dedicated to stopping cat declawing.
Janet Winikoff/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rosenthal's bill is backed by the Humane Society of New York and the Paw Project, a California-based group dedicated to stopping cat declawing.
If enacted, the measure would be the nation's first statewide ban on cat declawing.
The American Veterinary Medical Association believes cat declawing should be a last resort but has stopped short of supporting a ban on the procedure.
"Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents an above normal health risk for its owner," the AVMA's policy states.
Richard Harbus/for New York Daily News
The legislation is the newest of dozens of Rosenthal bills dealing with cats, dogs and other fury creations. Last month, Gov. Cuomo signed into law a Rosenthal bill banning the tattooing or piercing of pets.
Rosenthal has also written legislation giving judges the power to issue orders of protection to pets, limiting the testing of cosmetics on animals, giving cities special powers to shut down puppy mills and making the "rescue cat" New York's official cat.
Source: NY Daily News
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