An Assembly bill aimed at stopping pet owners from declawing their cats has gained the support of Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz, who introduced a resolution Tuesday to have the city officially support the legislation.
Assembly Bill 2606 was introduced by Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, D-Los Angeles, and Assemblyman Alex Lee, D-San Jose. If it’s passed and signed into law, a person would not be allowed to perform surgical claw removal, declawing or a tenonectomy on any cat to prevent or impair the claw’s normal function. The bill includes an exemption for the procedure if performed “for a therapeutic purpose.”
Los Angeles already has a law, approved in 2009, prohibiting people from declawing domestic cats.
Koretz’s resolution, which was seconded by Councilman Bob Blumenfield, said that declawing “can be a painful operation, preventing an animal from being able to extend its claws and leaving it unable to scratch, affecting its balance and climbing and rendering it at a great disadvantage in defending itself.”
The resolution was not immediately scheduled for a vote by the City Council.
