AR-News: (US-CA) Support Needed for Bill to Ban Declawing of Large Cats

[Pam at AVAR]

URGENT ACTION ALERT:
Support Letters from Needed for AB 1857, to Ban Declawing of Large Cats in 
California, Deadline for Support Letters: March 9

The California cat declaw bill has been amended and reintroduced as AB 
1857. This bill would now make it illegal for any person to declaw native 
or exotic wild cat species in the state of California (i.e. lions, tigers, 
cougars, leopards, lynxes, bobcats, cheetahs, jaguars, etc.). AB 1857 would 
still allow declawing of these cats for therapeutic purposes (i.e. 
legitimate medical needs). The bill would not apply to domestic cats. 
(Domestic cats were removed from the legislation due to strong opposition 
from some in the veterinary community, including the California Veterinary 
Medical Association.) AB 1857 is authored by California Assemblymember Paul 
Koretz.

CVMA has reportedly removed its opposition from the bill, given the new 
wording, but AB 1857 may still face opposition from segments of the 
entertainment industry which want to continue to declaw cats held in 
captivity for entertainment or viewing purposes. AB 1857 is scheduled to be 
heard by the Assembly Committee on Public Safety on Tuesday, March 16. 
Support letters, particularly those from California residents and animal 
organizations, should be sent to the Committee by Tuesday, March 9, to be 
listed in the bill analysis distributed at the hearing.

Please send a support letter by March 9 to the Public Safety Committee 
office. Letters should also be sent to the committee members. (Note: 
Assemblymember Paul Koretz also sits on this committee so support letters 
to his office can thank him for his leadership on this issue.) Below are 
some important points to emphasize in submitting your support letters. The 
full text of the bill can be accessed at
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset2text.htm.

Points to Emphasize in Support Letters:

1. Declawing poses significant health risks for cats. Cat declawing, or 
onychectomy in veterinary medical terms, involves surgically amputating the 
entire last part of the ten front toes (the third phalanges) of a cat. An 
alternative surgery is known as tendonectomy This procedure involves 
cutting or modifying the tendons to an animal's toes so that the claws 
cannot be extended. Both procedures can be painful and involve long-term 
postoperative complications such as infections, hemorrhage and nail regrowth.

2. There is a particular urgency to ban the declawing of "large cats" since 
they are held in captivity purely for human entertainment and viewing 
purposes. We should not be mutilating or disfiguring an animal simply so 
that he or she can be trained to perform or to be used in an exhibit. There 
are more humane ways to treat and care for animals who are held in captivity.

3. The veterinary profession recognizes that the declawing of "large cats" 
is cruel and inhumane. The American Veterinary Medical Association recently 
approved a position statement which states, "Because of their size, weight, 
and environment, exotic and wild cats commonly experience adverse effects 
when onychectomy is performed. Therefore, the welfare committee believes 
the procedure is ill advised, unless required for medical reasons." Other 
veterinary organizations opposing the declawing of native and exotic wild 
cats include the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights, the 
American Association of Zoo Veterinarians and the American Association of 
Wildlife Veterinarians.

CONTACT INFO FOR ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY

***Please send letters to Committee office by March 9 at:****
Fax: (916) 319-3745

Also contact Committee Members:

Mark Leno, Chair
Dem-13 (San Francisco)
ADDRESS:
Assemblymember Mark Leno
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0013
Phone: (916) 319-2013
Fax: (916) 319-2113
E-mail: Assemblymember.leno at assembly.ca.gov

Paul Koretz (author of the bill)
Dem-42 (West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Sherman Oaks)
ADDRESS:
Assemblymember Paul Koretz
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0042
Phone: (916) 319-2042
Fax: (916) 319-2142
E-mail: Assemblymember.Koretz at assembly.ca.gov

Jay La Suer, Vice Chair
Rep-77 (El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee, San Diego)
ADDRESS:
Assemblymember Jay La Suer
State Capitol
Room 2016
Sacramento, CA 94249-0077
Phone: (916) 319-2077
Fax: (916) 319-2177
E-mail: Assemblymember.Lasuer at assembly.ca.gov

Todd Spitzer
Rep-71 (Corona, Mission Viejo, Orange, Norco)
ADDRESS:
Assemblymember Todd Spitzer
State Capitol
Room 2111
Sacramento, CA 94249-0071
Phone: (916) 319-2071
Fax: (916) 319-2171
E-mail: Assemblymember.spitzer at assembly.ca.gov

Jackie Goldberg
Dem-45 (Los Angeles, Echo Park, Hollywood)
ADDRESS:
Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0045
Phone: (916) 319-2045
Fax: (916) 319-2145
E-mail: Assemblymember.Goldberg at assembly.ca.gov

Mervyn M. Dymally
Dem-52 (Los Angeles, Watts, Compton, Paramount)
ADDRESS:
Assemblymember Mervyn M. Dymally
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0052
Phone: (916) 319-2052
Fax: (916) 319-2152
E-mail: Assemblymember.dymally at assembly.ca.gov

Rudy Bermúdez (that's "Bermudez" with an accent over the "u")
Dem-56 (Artesia, Buena Park, Cerritos, Norwalk, Whittier)
ADDRESS:
Assemblymember Rudy Bermúdez
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0056
Phone: (916) 319-2056
Fax: (916) 319-2156
E-mail: Assemblymember.bermudez at assembly.ca.

#####

Pam Runquist
Director of Companion Animal Issues
Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights
PO Box 208
Davis, CA 95617-0208
Tel: (530) 759-8106
pam at avar.org

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