Friends of Animals (FoA) urges you to contact your legislators, particularly those who sit on the Committee on Business and Professions today in favor of AB 395, the “Anti-Declawing” bill sponsored by Assemblymember Paul Koretz. On or before April 29, The committee will review this important and precedent-setting bill by that would make illegal the practice of declawing or performing tendonectomy upon any cat species.

FoA is a national animal advocacy organization with over 10,000 members in California alone. Since our founding in 1957, we have advocated against declawing as unnecessary and cruel, akin to amputating the first knuckle of a human’s finger.

FoA offers a low-cost Spay/Neuter Certificate program in affiliation with veterinarians across the country. Our certificates may not be used in conjunction with declawing. (Cats are often declawed and neutered during the same appointment to avoid undergoing anesthesia multiple times.) We receive many calls from people who plan on having their cat(s) declawed, enquiring about our policy. Once they realize the extent of the procedure and hear some suggestions for behavior modification and grooming, nearly all say that they 1) had no idea the last bone of the cat’s toe is removed; and 2) will not subject their cat to this operation. See our “Paws Come with Claws” brochure for more facts about and alternatives to declawing.

Many vets across the U.S. won’t declaw, as they believe it is a barbaric and outdated surgery. This is also the position held by the 25 countries, including England, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, where declawing is illegal.

Please call, e-mail, or fax your legislators today to voice your support of AB 395.

Committee on Business and Professions members:

Assemblymember Paul Koretz (AB 395 sponsor)
Phone: 916-319-2042 Fax: 916-319-2142

Assemblymember Lou Correa Phone
916-319-2069 Fax: 916-319-2169

Assemblymember Shirley Horton Phone
916-319-2078 Fax: 916-319-2178

Assemblymember Greg Aghazarian Phone
916-319-2026 Fax: 916-319-2126

Assemblymember Rudy Berm’dez Phone
916-319-2056 Fax: 916-319-2156

Assemblymember Ellen M. Corbett Phone
916-319-2018 Fax: 916-319-2118

Assemblymember Mark Leno Phone
916-319-2013 Fax: 916-319-2113

Assemblymember Abel Maldonado Phone
916-319-2033 Fax: 916-319-2133

Assemblymember Bill Maze Phone
916-319-2034 Fax: 916-319-2134

Assemblymember Joe Nation Phone
916-319-2006 Fax: 916-319-2106

Assemblymember Juan Vargas Phone
916-319-2079 Fax: 916-319-2179

Assemblymember Mark Wyland Phone
916-319-2074 Fax: 916-319-2174

Assemblymember Leland Yee Phone
916-319-2012 Fax: 916-319-2112