VIRGINIA - Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has signed off on a new law that will prohibit owners and veterinarians from declawing cats in the Commonwealth.
House Bill No. 1354, first proposed in Virginia in February, adds a chapter to Virginia’s Code banning the declawing of cats. Declawing, according to the legislation, does not include nail filing, nail trimming, or the use of temporary nail caps. The ban would further prohibit veterinarians from performing these procedures unless out of medical necessity.
Governor Youngkin signed the legislation into law in April, with the ban on declawing taking effect in July of 2024. Those who violate the new law could face up to $500 in fines with increases for subsequent violations.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says they are strongly opposed to declawing cats, saying a variety of alternatives exist to manage scratching. Declawing, or the amputation of the last digital bone in on each front toe, involves the risk of anesthesia, excessive bleeding, and postoperative complications including infection, according to the ASPCA. The ASPCA says pain from the operation can last from several days to much longer.
In October of 2022, Maryland became the second state after New York to ban the declawing of cats when then-Governor Larry Hogan signed SB 67 / HB 22. A similar bill was also introduced in Delaware in 2022, but the legislation failed to pass committee for consideration by the House.