2005 News & Legislative Milestones
March 19—The Paw Project-sponsored California Anti-Declawing Law is named among the Top Ten Victories for Animals of 2004 at the 19th Annual HSUS Genesis Awards Ceremony.
March 7—The California Veterinary Medical Association holds a press conference to announce their lawsuit against the city of West Hollywood, CA. The CVMA wishes to overturn the nation's first ban on declawing.
February 7—The City Council of West Hollywood votes 5-0 to explore ways to expand their ground-breaking Declaw Ban to include prohibition on all non-therapeutic surgery, such as ear-cropping, tail-docking, and de-barking. The California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) threatens a lawsuit.
2005 Events, Highlights & Milestones
December 3—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the back feet of Maverick, a bobcat who lives at Forever Wild. Maverick's front feet had been repaired in September.
November 8—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the left front feet of Tantra, a 325 pound, Bengal-mix tiger who had suffered the effects of declawing for most of its 13 years of life. Tantra's home is Forever Wild.
October 4—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the rear feet of Shasa, a ten-year-old female Canadian lynx. Shasa was rescued from a fur farm and resides in a USDA-approved southern California sanctuary, Forever Wild. The declawing had been performed by veterinarian, but in a very crude manner. Shasa's front feet had been repaired in April.
September 13—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the front feet of Maverick, an eight-year-old bobcat that had been declawed when it was an illegal pet. Maverick's current home is Forever Wild, a USDA-approved southern California sanctuary.
August 30—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the right front foot of Zuri, a six-year-old, 450 pound tiger that lives at a USDA-approved sanctuary, Forever Wild. Zuri had been confiscated as an illegal pet.
June 16—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the back feet of Taboo, a bobcat that had been seized as an illegal pet and now resides in a USDA-approved southern California sanctuary, Forever Wild.
May 31—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the front feet of Frederick, a 425 pound, 11-year-old Bengal-mix tiger. Frederick had been born in captivity and was used as a movie "actor." After Frederick became lame, his former owner vowed never to declaw another animal.
April 28—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the front feet of Shasa, a nine-year-old female Canadian lynx. Shasa was rescued from a fur farm and resides in a USDA-approved southern California sanctuary, Forever Wild. The surgeons found the declawing had been done in a particularly brutal manner. One entire toe had been amputated and inflamed remanants of bone remained in several others.
February 8—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the back feet of Blue, a five-year-old male tiger. Blue had surgery on his front feet in October 2003 and July 2004 by The Paw Project veterinarians. Much of the money for the surgery was raised by Susan Hughes Goff of Santa Monica, who ran the LA Marathon as a fund-raiser specifically for Blue's care.
January 29—Dr. Jennifer Conrad exhibits her original art at Sew Jeannie Design in Santa Monica, CA, for a Paw Project fundraiser.