Animal protection group urges B.C. vet association to ban cat declawing
Posted January 18, 2018 10:08 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER – The society that protects animal welfare in B.C. is looking to the leadership of Nova Scotia’s veterinarians as it calls for a ban on feline declawing.
The B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals wants the province’s college of veterinarians to declare declawing unethical — similar to a ban announced by the Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association last month.
The society says it has been on record for nearly two decades as opposed to medically unnecessary procedures such as declawing, tail docking, ear cropping and devocalization.
Emilia Gordon, the society’s senior animal health manager, says veterinarians in B.C. care strongly about animal welfare and would welcome an opportunity to lead the way on the issue.
Nova Scotia was the first Canadian province to ban declawing, but a news release from the society says the practice is already prohibited in Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Brazil, the United Kingdom, many parts of Europe and some cities in California.
Gordon says studies show declawed cats are at higher risk for biting and aggression, are more likely to have trouble using the litter box, and have a significantly increased chance of back pain.
