Declawing cats to be banned in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Veterinarians will not be allowed to declaw cats in Virginia starting in July, unless there are certain “therapeutic” reasons to do so.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) signed a bill from Del. Marty Martinez (D-Loudoun) that prohibits declawing procedures on cats by veterinarians.

The pending law has exceptions that include:

• To address an existing or recurring infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition in an animal’s claw, nail bed or toe bone that jeopardizes the animal’s health, and for which addressing the infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition is a medical necessity, as documented by a licensed veterinarian
• To protect the owner’s life or health, as documented by a licensed physician, when such owner has been diagnosed with an infection, disease, disorder or similar condition that could reasonably be expected to worsen if such owner were to be scratched by a cat

Del. Martinez’s bill passed the House of Delegates on a 58-41 vote and the Virginia Senate on a 25-13 vote, with one abstention from a Republican who said he intended to vote no.

Representatives for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association and Richmond SPCA spoke in favor of the proposal when the bill was heard in a House subcommittee meeting in January.

The PETA representative told a House subcommittee that declawing involves not just the removal of the nail but “actually the amputation of the first digit of every paw.”

“I’m an animal lover, and anything we can do to prevent any kind of cruelty to animals is something that I will support,” Martinez told the subcommittee.

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