August 2, 2019 – Senator Lauren Book of Florida introduced her Anti-Declaw Bill, SB 48, on August 2, 2019. The bill would make illegal the declawing of cats for non-therapeutic reasons in the state of Florida. Local news sources describe the bill as a mirror of Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal‘s Anti-Declaw bill, which was recently enacted as the first Anti-Declaw law in the nation.
State Senator Book said declawing for a pet owner’s convenience offers no benefit to the cat. Many animal advocates agree with Senator Book and the Paw Project that the practice is inhumane and unnecessary.
“The procedure is not only unnecessary and painful but leads to complications that increase the likelihood of cats being surrendered to animal shelters,” Senator Book said in a prepared statement. “Florida’s felines deserve better.”
Paw Project Director Dr. Jennifer Conrad said, “We thank Senator Book for introducing this important animal protection legislation. Declawing is an archaic procedure known to be harmful to the long-term well-being of cats. The time is long past that declawing ends.”
Anti-Declaw Bills were also introduced in California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and West Virginia in 2019, in addition to the New York bill recently signed into law.