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Proposed anti-Declawing Legislation Help support Microchipping of pets Pet Overpopulation Facts Animal Guardianship Campaign Petition Against Breed Specific Legislation Humane "euthanasia" of animals in Honduras Spay/ Neutering facts and myths Animal Liberation Front Voices for Pets For more information, and for information on participating in a letter writing campaign, please visit the Cat Fancier's Association website.
The below article is courtesy of Declaw.org.
News Release: Feb. 2003
(Sacramento) - Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) introduced legislation that will prohibit veterinarians from declawing cats. Koretz, a well-known leader in efforts to protect animal welfare, is from the City of West Hollywood, where the City Council, at the request of Councilman John Duran, recently began considering an ordinance to ban declawing in the city.
The legislation, Assembly Bill 395, inserts a ban into the state's veterinary medical practice act that will prohibit the declawing surgical procedures known as onychectomy and flexor tendonectomy. Onychectomy is a surgical procedure where the animals toes or part of the paw are amputated at the last joint in order to remove the animal's claws. Bone and tendons are also severed. Flexor tendonectomy is an alternative procedure in which the tendon's to an animal's toes are cut so that the claws cannot be extended.
"Most Californians who have declawed their cat have no idea what they put their pet through," said Assemblyman Koretz. "Declawing literally involves amputating part of the cat's paws and causes pain and discomfort. It is a cruel and inhumane procedure that is absolutely unnecessary. Instead, veterinarians should work to educate cat owners about the various alternatives that are available," said Koretz
The practice of animal declawing is viewed by many veterinarians and animal experts as an act of cruelty. The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR) has stated that "declawing is generally unacceptable because the suffering and disfigurement it causes is not offset by any benefits to the cat. Declawing is done strictly to provide convenience for people."
AB 395 also bans the effects of declawing procedure for large and exotic cat species such as lions, tigers, cougars and bobcats. The effects of declawing are particularly debilitating for big cats. Declawing cripples these creatures, both from the pain caused by bone fragments left behind, and from the progressively debilitating arthritis produced by abnormal stress on other joints as the cats try to avoid walking on their tender toes.
"The term 'declawing' is a misnomer," says veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Conrad. "it is actually an amputation of the last bone of the toe." Dr. Conrad, founder of the Paw Project, an organization dedicated to abolishment of declaw surgery, has seen many domestic and exotic cats crippled by this procedure. "Declawing is a painful and risky surgery performed primarily to protect sofas and drapes. It does not benefit the cat in any way. Declawing is rarely done in other parts of the world and is illegal in many countries. It's time for Californians to recognize and protect the interests and needs of their animals."
The bill will be heard April 1, 2003
Letter Writing Campaign for humane "euthanasia" in Honduras
Please help with a letter writing campaign. "Euthanasia" in Honduras involves indescribable cruelty, such as feeding animals ground glass, poison, or some blunt trauma. These dogs have less than 2 weeks left.
Friends:
From Tegucigalpa, Honduras, we are asking for your help and support. Please send a letter of protest to the Mayor's Office against a Municipal Order, published in the newspapers of the entire country on March 15th, where the owning of pittbulls and other dogs considered "aggressive" has been PROHIBITED.
We at the Friends of Animals Association consider this to be a radical, illogical, unjust and inhumane order since the mayor's office NEVER carried out any educational campaigns to avoid attacks on people, especially children, by these dogs. The mayor's office has sentenced these dogs to death without taking into consideration that the two attacks this year, and others prior, have been due to irresponsible owners. These owners have not been judged legally and no precedent has been set in order to avoid injuries to people and other dogs who have been attacked and killed. This municipal order was approved on March 14th (published the 15th) by the Municipal Office of Tegucigalpa, under the direction of MIGUEL RODRIGO PASTOR and the first article of this order reads: It is PROHIBITED IN ALL FORMS the ownership of dogs of the following breeds: American Pitbull, Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro as well as hybrids of these breeds with any other non-prohibited breeds. A period of 45 days after the publishing of this order is given to the owners to GET RID of these dogs. To avoid heavy fines or problems with neighbors, several dogs have already been killed by shooting, poisoning, hanging, or machete.
These measures have been taken despite that the majority of these dogs have never attacked anyone. Other owners have taken their dogs out of the city and abandoned them there and yet others have been abandoned in the city. Those who do not comply will be fined and have their pets destroyed by the mayor's office (via cyanide and ground glass or similar barbaric forms) in coordination with the Office of Public Health. The mayor's office claims this will be done while "respecting" the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights. It is also important to point out that the approval of this order disregarded the opinion of the Veterinary Association of Honduras who yesterday published their unconformity with said order. In the same way, the Honduras Friends of Animals Association (ASHAA) was also not taken into account even though they had been working closely with the mayor on this matter and had been advocates for the respect of animal rights.
We beg that your letters of support be sent to the Mayor of Tegucigalpa, LIC. MIGUEL RODRIGO PASTOR, at the following email: amdc@alcaldiadetegucigalpa.com with a courtesy copy (cc) to this address: http://www.faunadehonduras.4t.com
Sincerely,
Abogada (Attorney) Karla Johanna Duarte Tercero
Fiscal de la Asociaci�n Hondure�a Amigos de los Animales (ASHAA)
Tel�fono (504) 230-32-39 fax (504) 230-28-97
Apartado Postal No. 981, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, C.A.
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