Quebec’s agriculture minister plans to introduce a bill banning cat declawing and other unnecessary pet surgeries.
In a recent letter to Quebec’s government house leader, André Lamontagne said the upcoming legislation would ban declawing, ear cropping, tail docking and devocalization surgeries for cats and dogs, unless the procedures are deemed medically necessary.
Veterinary associations and the SPCA have long called on the province to ban the surgeries, which they describe as painful, unnecessary and detrimental to animals’ ability to express normal behaviour.
Cat declawing is already banned in most Canadian provinces, including British Columbia, Alberta and all four Atlantic provinces.
A petition with 21,652 signatures tabled at the Quebec legislature in February describes declawing in particular as an invasive procedure that involves not only removing claws but also amputating bones and tendons.
Lamontagne’s letter indicates the bill will be tabled by this summer.