PAW PROJECT PRESS ROOM
Paw Project Activities, Declawing and Other Animal Welfare Issues
October 30, 2007—The Paw Project is pleased to announce the winner of the 2007 PSA Against Declawing Contest – Ms. Jocelyn Kornfeld of Southern California submitted the winning entry. Thank you to all contestants for their wonderful submissions.
June 22, 2007—A California Appellate Court decision upholds the West Hollywood declaw ban. The legality of the ordinance had been challenged in a 2005 lawsuit by the California Veterinary Medical Association, and the declaw ban was overturned in California Superior Court in November 2005. The West Hollywood City Council voted to appeal the lower Court ruling. The Paw Project is especially grateful to Orly Degani, founder of Los Angeles Lawyers for Animals, who co-authored the ordinance and provided pro bono representation for the City of West Hollywood - and the animals - in this successful legal battle.
March 8, 2007—Dr. Jennifer Conrad speaks on declawing on Pet Talk Radio KOKX in Keokuk, Iowa with host, Jean Meyer.
March 1, 2007—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the front feet of Brian, a black leopard adopted by Forever Wild from a facility in Texas.
February 15, 2007—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the back feet of Mia, a female tiger. Mia previously had paw repair surgery in August and December
January 25, 2007—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the back feet of Tweega, a serval who lives at Forever Wild sanctuary.
December 14, 2006—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the left front foot of Mia. Mia lives at Forever Wild.
November 16, 2006—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the front feet of Tuffy, a 10-year-old bocat who lives at the Eco Station.
August 24, 2006—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg examine the paws of Pharaoh, an African lion who will need paw repair surgery in the future.
August 23, 2006—Dr. Jennifer Conrad gives a lecture on humane treatment of animals to elementary school students at the Eco Station in Los Angles.
August 10, 2006—Paw Project vets, Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg, repair the left front paw of Mia, a tiger. The surgery was filmed for television broadcast for Los Angeles channels 11 and 13.
July 6, 2006—Paw Project vets, Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg, performed revision surgery on a single toe for Frederick, a tiger who had paw repair surgery in 2005.
June 15, 2006—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the declawed front paws of Tweega, an African serval.
May 2, 2006—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg treat Zuri's left front paw. Zuri previously had paw repair surgery in August 2005.
April 27, 2006—Paw Project vets, Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg, treat Tantra's left front paw. Tantra is a tiger living in a southern California sanctuary.
April 11, 2006—Paw Project vets, Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg, repair the front feet of Harare, a male black leopard. Harare was so crippled that his keepers had considered euthanasia. He is now doing extremely well and appears pain free.
March 23, 2006—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the front feet of Kyrin, a 10-year-old Siberian Lynx. Kyrin's back feet had been repaired in January.
January 5, 2006—Drs. Jennifer Conrad and Kirk Wendelburg repair the back feet of Kyrin, a 10-year-old Siberian Lynx who had been born on a fur farm. Kyrin is cared for at Forever Wild.
December 3, 2005—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, 2005—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, 2005—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, 2005—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, 2005—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, 2005—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, 2005—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, 2005—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 remnants of bone remained in several others.
March 19, 2005—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, 2005—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 8, 2005—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.
February 7, 2005—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.
January 29, 2005—Dr. Jennifer Conrad exhibits her original art at SewJeannie Design in Santa Monica, CA for a Paw Project fundraiser.
IN THE NEWS
Paw Project, Animal Welfare, Animal Rights Legislation and Humane Alternatives to Cat Declawing
September 29, 2004—California Anti-Declawing Bill, AB 1857, is signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. AB 1857 bans declawing of wild and exotic cats. The law became effective January 1, 2005. The Paw Project sponsored the bill, which was authored and advanced in the State Assembly by the Honorable Paul Koretz (D-42nd Assembly District). International and local media, such as Los Angeles KABC News have covered the legislative milestones that led to passage of the first law in North America to ban cat declawing, and now, the first State law in the US to prohibit declawing of wild and exotic cats.
