New York would be the first state in the U.S. to ban the declawing of cats under legislation approved by lawmakers at the request of cat owners, animal welfare advocates and many veterinarians who call the procedure cruel and needless. Add InterestThe bill, which would subject veterinarians to $1,000 fines for performing the operation, now heads to the desk of Gov. She called cat declawing "barbaric and inhumane." Supporters of the ban cite estimates that a quarter or more of all domestic cats in the U.S. have had the procedure. Veterinarian Michelle Brownstein stopped performing declawing operations 15 years ago at her Rochester-area animal hospital when she said she became convinced the procedure leaves cats with lifelong problems.

Source: ABC News June 04, 2019 09:40 UTC