A veterinarian attending the Burbank City Council meeting Tuesday removed a cigar cutter from her pocket as she spoke.
"This is how it's done," exclaimed Dr. Jennifer Conrad, "It's like a guillotine, similar to this cigar cutter, and they put the cat's toe in with the nail and they chop it off. Every- single- one."
Conrad was one of 28 individuals and Burbank residents who gave public comment regarding a proposed emergency ordinance to ban the declawing of cats and other animals within the city limits.
In a 4-1 vote, Burbank became the eighth city in California to ban the procedure, which veterinarians said causes long-term nerve damage, litter box avoidance, and biting.
City officials were open to discussing the proposed ordinance immediately due to legislation approved in July by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that, as of Jan. 1, 2010, will make it unlawful for a city or county to pass ordinances prohibiting practices that are otherwise allowable within the scope of the veterinary profession. In response to this legislation, several cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Berkeley, and Culver City, have succeeded in banning animal declawing by adopting ordinances effective before the New Year.
In recent months, Conrad and her colleagues have traveled from city to city to support the ban, despite how lucrative the surgery is for veterinary businesses.
"One by one, we're taking the cities and we're teaching them what the declawing procedure is like with the guillotine," said Conrad. "We've started small, but we will take this to the state level in time. It's a very profitable business for vets, but it's inhumane. No one should be okay with partially amputating the paw of an animal"
Conrad said the declawing of cats is a surgical solution to a behavioral problem that could be easily avoided by pet owners taking the time to properly train their pets. She also said Soft Paws and scratching posts are options that pet owners rarely consider.
"Seventy-six percent of cats are declawed before they are 8 months old," said Conrad. "That is a kitten. It is the equivalent of pulling the teeth of a puppy because he is chewing slippers... This procedure has nothing to do with the interest of the cat and everything to do with drapes...95% of veterinarians declaw to protect furniture."
Those in opposition of the new ordinance said their home furnishings weren't the only reason they have had their cat's claws removed, though.
"I have thyroid cancer and lupus," said Christine George. "I don't think it's inhumane to have my cats declawed because I got sick and risk the chance of dying from an innocent scratch. It's better I have them than they be homeless or euphonized."
Another owner of declawed cats said the operations have had a negative impact on the state of her home.
"I have seven declawed cats," said Brandie Ferding. "I took them to the vet when they were kittens to get spayed and neutered and the vet offered me a little package deal to get them declawed as well. I got it done and now I'm having problems with every one of them... It hurts their paws to dig in the litter, so they go to the bathroom all over the house, and now I can't let them outside because they can't protect themselves other than to bite."
Litter box avoidance and biting are the two main reasons cats become homeless and remain unadoptable, said Conrad.
"Some people think that declawing saves [cats'] lives. That's incorrect. The statistics show, and any [pet] rescuer across the board will tell you, that declawed cats are at risk for losing their lives at a 2-1 ratio. After declawing, these cats are typically referred to as 'special needs' cats and are unadoptable. They often turn violent and timid as well."
Conrad and other supporters of the ordinance are confident the eight cities that have passed ordinances banning the procedure will set a precedent for their attempt to address the issue on a statewide level in coming months.
"As a veterinarian, I can tell you that this is the most painful and unnecessary operation that happens within the walls of any animal clinic," said Conrad. "No animal should have to go through this."
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