Easton Could Become the Third PA City to Ban Cat Declawing and Could Ban Dogs and Cats from Being Sold in Pet Shops

Easton City Council will vote on a bill in April that would ban declawing and pet shop sales of dogs, cats, and rabbits

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Animal rights activists have described it as "like cutting off a human finger at the knuckle." Onychectomy, or the declawing of a cat, is controversial, but animal rights activists are clear in their position that it should be banned. So far in Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh and Allentown have enacted bans on the practice, and now Easton in Northhampton County is a vote away from doing the same thing.

Bill No.13 was proposed to the Easton City Council on March 22, and a vote will be taken on April 5. the bill would not only ban cat declawing, but it would also bar pet shops from selling cats, dogs, and rabbits. The bill would allow declawing for "therapeutic purposes" that relate to a cat's health.

In November, Allentown passed a similar cat declawing ban. The practice was banned in Pittsburgh in 2021, making the city the first in PA to ban declawing. In both cities, the fine for violating the ban is $500, which is the proposed fine in Easton as well.

Easton Mayor Sal Panto, Jr. said he supports the bill.

Bans in these cities could become moot if Pennsylvania were to enact a statewide ban. Anti-declawing legislation was introduced in the General Assembly in 2021, but it was held up in the judiciary committee. The sponsors of the bill planned to reintroduce it in 2023.

The ASPCA has expressed concerns about bans preventing rare-case scenarios in which declawing is acceptable as an alternative to euthanasia, but the statewide legislation would account for therapeutic purposes.