ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-sixth Legislature First Regular Session

---

HB 2335: cat declawing; prohibition; exceptions.

Sponsor: Representative Shah, LD 5

Committee on Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Overview

Prohibits a veterinarian from declawing a cat without the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board's approval and establishes civil penalties for violating this prohibition.

History

Practicing Veterinary Medicine

A veterinarian generally must be licensed by the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board to practice veterinary medicine in Arizona. Practicing veterinary medicine involves advertising one's ability to diagnose conditions, perform surgical procedures and prescribe and administer drugs and medicine for animals in exchange for compensation (A.R.S. §§ 32-2211, 32-2212 and 32-2231). The board may revoke or suspend a veterinarian's license or impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for:

1) Unprofessional or dishonorable conduct;

2) Publicly claiming to treat a highly contagious and incurable disease;

3) Treating an injury in a way that deceives the public; or

4) Providing false statements regarding the test results for communicable diseases in the animal (A.R.S. § 32-2233).

Procedures for Declawing Cats

There are two medical procedures that can be performed to limit a cat's ability to use its claws:

1) Declawing (onychetomy) involves amputating the distal phalanges, or end bones, of each toe and then closing the wounds with stitches or surgical glue; and

2) A tendonectomy involves severing the tendon that controls the claw in each toe.

In the United States, New York and Maryland, as well as several cities and counties, currently outlaw this practice.

Provisions

1. Prohibits a veterinarian from performing a declawing, onychetomy or tendonectomy of a cat unless the veterinarian is licensed to practice in Arizona and the procedure is for a therapeutic purpose. (Sec. 2)

2. Allows a licensed veterinarian to:

a) Request a board hearing to consider approving the declawing, onychectomy or tendonectomy of a cat; and

b) Perform the declawing, onychectomy or tendonectomy only once the board has approved the procedure. (Sec. 2)

3. Requires records of the board's decision to be available to the public and include a specific reason for the board's decision.

4. Instructs a licensed veterinarian who requested board approval to perform a declawing, onychectomy or tendonectomy procedure to:

a) Retain the board's written decision as part of the veterinarian's records; and

b) Keep a record of the procedure for at least three years after the veterinarian's last contact with the cat and specifies what this record should include. (Sec. 2)

5. States that at veterinarian who violates this prohibition is subject to a civil penalty of $1,000 for the first violation and $1,500 for each subsequent violation. (Sec. 2)

6. Defines declawing, onychectomy, tendonectomy and therapeutic purpose. (Sec. 1)

7. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1)

8.

9.

10. ---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------

11.                   HB 2335

12. Initials PAB           Page 0 Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs

13.

14. ---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------