LA Councilman Koretz calls for statewide ban on cat declawing

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.