Beverly Hills Votes to Defend Cats' Right to Swipe

Pro-choice pet owners say decision is private

By OLSEN EBRIGHT

Updated 3:12 PM PST, Fri, Nov 6, 2009

Print Email Share TWITTER FACEBOOK

Getty

The fur is flying in a sharply contested debate as Beverly Hills takes a major step toward banning the declawing of cats.

The City Council voted 5-0 on Thursday night to ban what Councilman John Mirisch called "a cruel and unnecessary procedure."

But pro-choice advocates, such as California Veterinary Medical Association President Dr. Mark Nunez, say the decision is none of the government's business.

"The decision to declaw a cat should remain between the owner in consultation with his, or her, veterinarian on a case-by-case basis," Nunez said in an Oct. 13 letter to the mayor.

LOOK

Celebrity Pets

LOOK

Presidential Pets

LOOK

Zoo Babies

Nunez added that declawing "is not cruel or inhumane," and the procedure is primarily used as a last resort.

"It is something that is done not for medical reasons, but for the convenience of the pet guardian," Mirisch argued.

The proposal would allow exceptions if a cat's life were in danger.

Even so, Nunez argues that if pet owners can't get the claws taken care of in Beverly Hills, they will just go elsewhere.

Mirisch acknowledged that could happen, but "we have to do what we feel is right for us."

Passage of the proposed ordinance "wouldn't change much," because "I don't think there really any vets in Beverly Hills who do a lot of declawing," but "would send an important signal that this is not OK," Mirisch said.

A second vote is needed to send the proposed ordinance to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for his signature.

Various city councils around the state are considering proposals to ban declawing because of a state law banning cities and counties from regulating the practice of veterinary medicine goes into effect Jan. 1.

The Los Angeles City Council's Public Safety Committee on Monday directed the City Attorney's Office to draft an ordinance banning declawing for the full City Council to consider before the end of the year.

Santa Monica's City Council gave initial approval to banning declawing Oct. 27 as did the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

West Hollywood is the state's only city to restrict cat declawing by local ordinance, according to Susan Healy Keene, Beverly Hills' director of community development.

Copyright City News Service / NBC Los Angeles

First Published: Nov 6, 2009 11:14 AM PST

Print Email Share TWITTER FACEBOOK

0 Comments

{"totSize":10,"payload_type":"json","status":"1","results":[{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_69392102","adminTags":null,"views":314,"createdBy":13663603,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Beverly Hills Votes to Defend Cats' Right to Swipe","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2666670,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"6 Nov 2009 19:46:04 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"GerryB","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1199444","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Great! Now we have to fear the cat claw police peering through our windows. "},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_69392102","adminTags":null,"views":314,"createdBy":12329328,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Beverly Hills Votes to Defend Cats' Right to Swipe","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2666670,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"6 Nov 2009 20:16:48 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"All_Hallows_Eve","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1199849","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"De-clawing is for lazy people who have no business own cats. What a horrible thing to do! Can any of you selfish animal "lovers" imagine what it's like to NOT have the ability to even scratch yourself??? Now imagine yourself covered with FUR from head to toe and STILL not have the ability to scratch an itch! Morons. Oh, but you LOVE your pets! Please. ALL cats can be trained to not claw furniture and destroy property!"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_69392102","adminTags":null,"views":314,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Beverly Hills Votes to Defend Cats' Right to Swipe","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2666670,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"6 Nov 2009 21:19:14 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1200594","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Does the City of Beverly Hills have similar bans on cropping ears or bobbing tails? I'll bet not. Regardless of one's stance on the issue of declawing, I don't think this is something city government should be involved in. Where does it end?"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_69392102","adminTags":null,"views":314,"createdBy":12146142,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Beverly Hills Votes to Defend Cats' Right to Swipe","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2666670,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"6 Nov 2009 21:36:53 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"ddfer","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1200759","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"They make tips that can be glued on to a cats claws that will protect furniture from being shredding if a cat tries to use it as a scratching post. I've never seen the need to crop an animals ears or chop off their tails. It's only for done for "fashion". If you want to do something good for your pet, get it spayed or neutered and adopt your pets from a shelter instead of buying from a breeder. "},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_69392102","adminTags":null,"views":314,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Beverly Hills Votes to Defend Cats' Right to Swipe","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2666670,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"7 Nov 2009 00:59:57 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1202187","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"I've had my cat from 6 wks old to his current age of 15 and he has been declawed just about all his life. You dont have to remove the back claws which they use to scratch themselves, the front claws are what do the damage. My cat has been indoors his whole life and has always been loved and cared for. Everybody's situation is different, so stop with the judements and name calling. "}],"error":"","totPages":2}