Committee hears support for bill to ban cat declawing, stakeholders seek reduced reporting burden
Lawmakers heard testimony supporting House Bill 19-04, which would prohibit declawing cats except for defined therapeutic reasons; animal welfare groups and many veterinarians endorsed the ban while veterinary associations asked to remove duplicative reporting and record-keeping requirements to reduce burden on small clinics.
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House Health Care & Wellness Committee members heard extensive testimony Jan. 14 on House Bill 19-04, a proposal to prohibit declawing procedures on cats except when ‘therapeutic’ reasons justify surgery. Staff summarized the measure as defining declawing to include removal of a portion of a claw or digit and prescribing fines for unlawful performance: $1,000 for a first offense, $1,500 for a second, and $2,500 for subsequent violations.
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