It May Soon Be Illegal To Declaw Your Cat In Arizona
By Ginny Reese
February 10, 2022
It may soon be illegal to get your cats declawed in the state.
An Arizona House committee approved a bill that would ban pet owners from declawing their cats, reported Fox 10 Phoenix. HB 2224 would also impose fines on any veterinarian that performs the procedure, unless it is for therapeutic purposes.
Amish Shah, Arizona State Representative, said, "With all the research and science that we have accumulated on this topic, it is cruel, it is mutilation, and it needs to stop."
The bill has been met with some opposition. Some say that not being able to have cats declawed will deter potential pet owners from adopting cats. Others say that it should be the pet owners' choice if they want their pets declawed.
The bill will now move on to the full house for consideration.
So what exactly is declawing?
Declawing is a procedure that surgically removed the third bone, or the first "knuckle" of a cat's toes. According to the Humane Society and the ASPCA, it is an unnecessary treatment.