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New York is at a signature to become the first state in the country to ban the declawing of cats, a practice that human rights advocates say does not serve any benefit to cats and is usually done for convenience.
The bill, which was passed Tuesday by the Democratic-majority legislature and Senate, would impose a $ 1,000 fine on veterinarians who perform the procedure for non-medical purposes. This means that pet owners in the state will no longer be able to degrade their cats for aesthetic, aesthetic or other reasons. apparent reasons.
Parliamentarian Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan), one of the many lawmakers to have defended this measure, was visibly cheering after the vote. She had previously mobilized against declawing and condemned her invasiveness in a statement: "It's not like getting a manicure / pedicure," she said. "It's a brutal surgery."
"The days when this procedure is offered cavalierly to make it easier for homeowners to protect sofas and curtains are numbered," she added.
Rosenthal and other supporters of the bill say that declawing, or onychectomy, can lead to long-term complications for cats. The director of the Humane Society of the United States in New York, Brian Shapiro, who advocated for legislation, explained that the procedure was not as simple as removing a cat nail; the last bone segment of the cat's toes must be amputated.
He compared that to cutting the tip of a human finger to the first joint. Legislation is a "big win," he added.
According to some estimates, in the United States, 25% of cats are declassified and Shapiro said that veterinarians were generally divided on the issue. The New York Veterinary Medical Society, for example, argues that declawing should be allowed if a cat uses its claws in a destructive manner or if a potential scratch could pose health risks to households with people whose immune systems are weakened.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend sanitation methods and selective ownership of pets prior to declawing.
The origins of the declawing date back at least to 1952, when the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association published a letter to the editor of the Chicago veterinarian, AG Misener, who described the procedure as a "practical step." According to Minnesota veterinarian Ron Gaskin, Misener's practice has been widely adopted across the United States – particularly to prevent cats from scratching furniture – despite the lack of control over the procedure.
"It's never been studied for long-term safety, or if it generated pain later in life," Gaskin said. "It has never been studied this way."
According to Rosenthal, several cities in the United States and the majority of Canadian provinces have banned declawing. The procedure is also prohibited in Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Sweden and several other countries.
Acknowledging that New York is leading the way at the state level, Rosenthal said she hoped others would follow their example. Lawmakers in California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and West Virginia insist that similar laws be passed.
The bill will now be handed over to the office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (D-N.Y.), Who indicated that he would review the measure before making a decision.
Duncan Strauss contributed to this report.
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