The proposed bill that would ban declawing cats passed unanimously on Monday during a Denver City Council meeting.
Declawing, or onychectomy, is the operation to remove an animal's claws surgically. All or most of the last bone of each of the ten front toes is removed, and tendons, nerves and ligaments that allow for normal function of the paw are severed.
A bill to ban cat declawing in #Denver was given final approval by City Council. Watch the meeting on Denver 8.
— Denver City Council (@DenCityCouncil) November 14, 2017
Denver veterinarian Aubrey Lavizzo previously said it's not only painful for cats but also leads to behavioral issues that pet owners find challenging like using the bathroom in unwanted places.
The ordinance is effective immediately.
In the U.S., declawing is prohibited in the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Culver City, West Hollywood, and Burbank.
Denver is the first city outside of California to enforce a declawing ban.
Denver passes declaw ban! Yay for cats #pawproject #stopdeclawing Please RT. pic.twitter.com/356tp67NGc
— The Paw Project (@pawproject) November 7, 2017
