Dr. Michelle Brownstein is owner and veterinarian at Henrietta Animal Hospital in Henrietta, New York, near Rochester. She earned her B.S. in Animal Science at Cornell University, an M.S. at Ohio State University, and her D.V.M. at the University of Georgia. After completing her education, she returned to her hometown of Rochester, NY to begin her practice. In 1986 Dr. Brownstein chose to devote her life to small animal medicine and surgery, and she hasn’t looked back. Dr. Brownstein is a member of the Genesee Valley Veterinary Medical Association, the New York State Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of Shelter Veterinarians.
Dr. Brownstein states, “I stopped declawing cats many years ago when I began to notice that a significant portion of cats that were declawed were not only highly aggressive, but also had behavioral issues. Often, it leads to their surrender to shelters and subsequent euthanasia. We encourage routine nail care, scratching posts and nail caps to preserve furniture. The declaw procedure, regardless of the technique, is brutal and life altering. Consider how one would feel if the tips of ones fingers were one day amputated. It would be a traumatic and painful surgical procedure despite aggressive pain management. The end result is still a mutilated cat condemned to a life of pain and misery. I, along with other humane veterinarians, encourage all our colleagues to stop this needless inhumane procedure.”