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A595Assembly2017-2018 SessionSame asS3376

Ban Cat Declawing

Official title

“Relates to the prohibition of the declawing of cats”

Sponsor Linda RosenthalAD-67+25 co-sponsorsAffects Economy
Status
In Assembly Committee
Agriculture
Impact
5/10
Moderate
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Agriculture

What's happening

This bill prohibits the declawing of cats in New York except for specific medical reasons, with violators facing civil penalties.

Why it matters

  1. The bill strictly limits the declawing of cats to only medically necessary cases. , making it illegal to declaw for cosmetic reasons or owner convenience. This elevates cat welfare by prioritizing their health over human preferences.

  2. Veterinarians and others performing declawing for non-therapeutic reasons face significant civil penalties (up to $1,000 per violation). , creating a strong deterrent and putting legal pressure on the veterinary community to adhere to higher ethical standards.

  3. By defining ‘therapeutic purpose’ narrowly, the bill closes loopholes that might allow unnecessary declawing. , ensuring that only genuine medical needs (such as infection, injury, or disease in the claw) qualify.

  4. The law aligns New York with a growing movement to ban elective declawing, which is widely considered inhumane by animal welfare organizations. , potentially influencing policy in other states and raising awareness about animal rights.

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Who cares

  • Veterinarians

    The bill would prohibit declawing and specified related procedures on cats except when necessary to address the cat’s physical medical condition.

  • Cat owners

    Cosmetic preferences or convenience in keeping or handling a cat would not qualify as reasons for allowing the procedures.

  • Animal welfare advocates

    The bill would establish a statewide prohibition on nontherapeutic declawing, with civil penalties of up to $1,000 for people performing prohibited procedures.

Headline styles

Ban Cat Declawing

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Linda Rosenthal

Assembly Member · Assembly District 67

History

  1. Print number 595a
  2. Amend and recommit to agriculture
  3. Referred to agriculture
  4. Referred to agriculture

Companion bill

The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.

S3376Senate

Ban Cat Declawing

In Senate Committee · Agriculture · Sponsor Joseph A. Griffo

Impact 5 · Moderate0% to pass

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

595--A

2017-2018 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

January 9, 2017

Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, DINOWITZ, MOSLEY, GOTTFRIED, BRIN- DISI, GALEF, RAIA, MURRAY, LUPARDO, QUART, SEAWRIGHT, SEPULVEDA, SANTABARBARA, RIVERA, D'URSO, WILLIAMS, BLAKE, GLICK, CARROLL, BENE- DETTO, SKARTADOS, STIRPE, GUNTHER, NIOU -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK, CURRAN, ENGLEBRIGHT, FITZPATRICK, GARBARINO, LIFTON, McDO- NOUGH, PHEFFER AMATO, SIMON, SOLAGES, STECK, THIELE, WALTER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture -- recommitted to the Committee on Agriculture in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec.

2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to prohibiting the declawing of cats

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new section 381 to read as follows:

§ 381. Prohibition of the declawing of cats. 1. No person shall perform an onychectomy (declawing), partial or complete phlangectomy or tendonectomy procedure by any means on a cat within the state of New York, except when necessary for a therapeutic purpose. Therapeutic purpose means the necessity to address the physical medical condition of the cat, such as an existing or recurring illness, infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition in the claw that compromises the cat's health. Therapeutic purpose does not include cosmetic or aesthetic reasons or reasons of convenience in keeping or handling the cat.

2. Any person who performs an onychectomy, partial or complete phlangectomy or tendonectomy procedure on any cat within the state of New York shall be guilty of a violation of this section which shall be punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars.

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD01725-03-8

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.