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Cat Declawing: Now Banned in Los Angeles
Photo by spcaLA via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr
Shortly after confirming Charlie Beck as the new Chief of Police, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to ban cat declawing within city limits, joining a group of other cities such as West Hollywood, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills.
A state law that will go into effect in 2010 will ban cities from banning declawing, hence why so many cities are seeing these new laws. "Given all the problems in California and the state taking money and property taxes from us, it seemed obscene and ridiculous to me that they would tell us how to regulate this," explained Darryl Moore, a city councilman in Berkeley, where a ban was passed last week, to the New York Times.
Banning declawing is not without controversy. "It is not mutiliation. It is not the equivalent of taking off a person's fingers," said Dr. Martin Mackie to the Daily News. "They make it seem much more dastardly than it is." He says age is a big factor in a cat's behavior.
Breaking the law and getting caught will earn someone a misdemeanor. However, how the law will be enforced is unknown.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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