WHAT YOU CAN DO —
CIRCULATE A PETITION
Gathering signatures on petitions is one of the most powerful ways to inform state legislators that banning declawing is an important issue. By asking people to sign a petition you are also teaching people that declawing is inhumane—amputating a cat's toes has no health benefits for cats.
Gathering signatures on a petition is easy — Here's How
DOWNLOAD PETITION (PDF)
Petition for State of California
1. Download and print the petitions and fill them with the signatures of your friends and family.
2. A great way to fill up a petition is to stand in front of your local grocery store, pet supply store, theater, or restaurant.
3. When you are finished collecting signatures on the petition, please send it to the Paw Project:
Paw Project
PO Box 445
Santa Monica, CA 90406-0445
4. Please include your name, so we can acknowledge you on the Paw Project website's "Kitty Crusader" page.
When we have collected thousands of signatures, we will show California legislators that banning the declawing of cats is the will of the people!
WRITE A LETTER NOW
The California Veterinary Medical Association helped successfully pass a bill, SB762, which will make it impossible to pass local declaw bans after 12/31/2009.
EIGHT CALIFORNIA CITIES HAVE APPROVED BANS ON CAT DECLAWING
Please take a moment to contact your California state representatives and go on record expressing your support for a ban on declawing domestic cats.
Writing a letter is easy and effective — Here's How
1. Write a polite, personalized letter or email. (Letters that are sent or faxed are more effective than emails.) If you have any personal experience with declawing, especially negative ones, please include your story in the letter, using the first person, "I", to be more compelling. Communicating a message that is concise, positive and proactive is far more persuasive than a long, critical message with a negative tone.
2. Click here to view a Sample Letter (Be sure to personalize the sample letter and make it your own)
3. For updates, please join The Paw Project mailing list.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SAN FRANCISCO REPRESENTATIVES
San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi has introduced a proposal for a city ordinance to ban declawing. A vote on the declawing ban will be taken on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. Letters of support and phone calls would be very helpful and should be directed to Supervisor Mirkarimi and to the other Supervisors immediately.
Please urge Mayor Newsom and the San Francisco Supervisors to support the Ban on Declawing. You can write, phone, fax, or e-mail the Mayor and Supervisors.
E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO CITY SUPERVISORS:
Gavin.Newsom@sfgov.org,
David.Chiu@sfgov.org,
Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.org,
Michela.Alioto-Pier@sfgov.org,
Carmen.Chu@sfgov.org,
Ross.Mirkarimi@sfgov.org,
Chris.Daly@sfgov.org,
Sean.Elsbernd@sfgov.org,
Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org,
David.Campos@sfgov.org,
Sophie.Maxwell@sfgov.org,
John.Avalos@sfgov.org
MAILING ADDRESSES FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO CITY MAYOR and SUPERVISORS:
Mayor Gavin Newsom
City Hall, Room 200
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
Telephone: (415) 554-6141
Fax: (415) 554-6160
Gavin.Newsom@sfgov.org
Supervisor David Chiu
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-7450 - voice
(415) 554-7454 - fax
David.Chiu@sfgov.org
Supervisor Eric Mar
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-7410 - voice
(415) 554-7415 - fax
Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.org
Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-7752 - voice
(415) 554-7843 - fax
Michela.Alioto-Pier@sfgov.org
Supervisor Carmen Chu
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-7460 - voice
(415) 554-7432 - fax
Carmen.Chu@sfgov.org
Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-7630 - voice
(415) 554-7634 - fax
Ross.Mirkarimi@sfgov.org
Supervisor Chris Daly
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-7970 - voice
(415) 554-7974 - fax
Chris.Daly@sfgov.org
Supervisor Sean Elsbernd
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-6516 - voice
(415) 554-6546 - fax
Sean.Elsbernd@sfgov.org
Supervisor Bevan Dufty
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-6968 - voice
(415) 554-6909 - fax
Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org
Supervisor David Campos
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-5144 - voice
(415) 554-6255 - Fax
David.Campos@sfgov.org
Supervisor Sophie Maxwell
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-7670 - voice
(415) 554-7674 - fax
Sophie.Maxwell@sfgov.org
Supervisor John Avalos
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-6975 - voice
(415) 554-6979 - fax
John.Avalos@sfgov.org
Please indicate in your message if you are a San Francisco resident.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SANTA MONICA REPRESENTATIVES
On October 28, 2009, the Santa Monica Representatives voted to pass the ban on feline declawing 6–1. Many thanks to the supporters of the ban who appeared at the hearing to testify in its favor and to supporters who wrote letters, e-mails, and made phone calls.
Mayor Ken Genser
1685 Main Street, Room 209
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Message (310) 458-8201 – voice
Fax (310)458-1621
city@genser.org
Mayor Pro Tempore Pam O'Connor
1685 Main Street
Room 209
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Message (310)458-8201
Fax (310)458-1621
pam.oconnor@smgov.net
Richard Bloom
1685 Main Street
Room 209
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Message (310)458-8201
Fax (310)458-1621
richard.bloom@smgov.net
Gleam Davis
1685 Main Street
Room 209
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Message (310)458-8201
Fax (310)458-1621
gleam.davis@smgov.net
Robert Holbrook
760 Ermont Place
Santa Monica, CA 90402
Home (310)394-1094
Fax (310)393-7948
robert.holbrook@smgov.net
Kevin McKeown
848 E 16th Street
Santa Monica, 90403
Home (310) 393-3639
Fax (310) 393-3609 home
Fax (310) 458-1621 office
kevin@mckeown.net
Bobby Shriver
1685 Main Street
Room 209
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Message (310)458-8201
Fax (310)458-1621
bobby.shriver@smgov.net
Please indicate in your message if you are a Santa Monica resident.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR LOS ANGELES REPRESENTATIVES
Please urge Los Angeles Mayor and city Councilmembers to support the Ban on Declawing. The full Los Angeles City Council will vote on the declawing ban in on Friday, Nov. 6, 2009 in Van Nuys. Please contact committee members to urge them to support the ban. Please include your name and be sure to inform them if you are a Los Angeles resident.
Phone calls are also effective: every call counts as 115 votes and legislators who are undecided are tallying votes. Please write, phone, fax, or e-mail.
VOTE ON CAT DECLAWING BAN — FRIDAY, 10:00am, NOVEMBER 6, 2009 at Van Nuys City Hall
14410 Sylvan Street
Van Nuys, CA 91401
E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR THE LOS ANGELES CITY REPRESENTATIVES:
mayor@lacity.org, councilmember.reyes@lacity.org, councilmember.zine@lacity.org, councilmember.labonge@lacity.org, paul.koretz@lacity.org, councilmember.cardenas@lacity.org, councilmember.parks@lacity.org, jan.perry@lacity.org, councilmember.wesson@lacity.org, councilmember.rosendahl@lacity.org, councilmember.smith@lacity.org, councilmember.garcetti@lacity.org, councilmember.huizar@lacity.org, councilmember.hahn@lacity.org
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-978-0600
Fax: 213-978-0750
Email: mayor@lacity.org
District 1 - Ed Reyes
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 410
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7001
Fax: 213-485-8907
Email: councilmember.reyes@lacity.org
District 2 - Open (election for this seat to come)
Phone: 213-473-7002
District 3 - Dennis P. Zine
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 450
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7003
Email: councilmember.zine@lacity.org
District 4 - Tom LaBonge
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 480
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7004
Fax: 213-624-7810
Email: councilmember.labonge@lacity.org
District 5 - Paul Koretz
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 440
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7005
Fax: 213-978-2250
Email: paul.koretz@lacity.org
District 6 - Tony Cardenas
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 455
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7006
Fax: 213-847-0549
Email: councilmember.cardenas@lacity.org
District 7 - Richard Alarcon
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 425
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7007
Fax: 213-847-0707
Email: (use contact form at www.lacity.org/council/cd7/contact.htm)
District 8 - Bernard Parks
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 460
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7008
Fax: 213-485-7683
Email: councilmember.parks@lacity.org
District 9 - Jan Perry
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 420
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7009
Fax: 213-473-5946
Email: jan.perry@lacity.org
District 10 - Herb J. Wesson, Jr.
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 430
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7010
Fax: 213-485-9829
Email: councilmember.wesson@lacity.org
District 11 - Bill Rosendahl
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 415
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7011
Fax: 213-473-6926
Email: councilmember.rosendahl@lacity.org
District 12 - Greig Smith
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 405
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7012
Fax: 213-473-6925
Email: councilmember.smith@lacity.org
District 13 - Eric Garcetti
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 470
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7013
Fax: 213-613-0819
Email: councilmember.garcetti@lacity.org
District 14 - Jose Huizar
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 465
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7014
Fax: 213-847-0680
Email: councilmember.huizar@lacity.org
District 15 - Janice Hahn
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room 435
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-473-7015
Fax: 213-626-5431
Email: councilmember.hahn@lacity.org
Please indicate in your message if you are a Los Angeles resident.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR MALIBU REPRESENTATIVES
Please urge Malibu Mayor and city Councilmembers to support the Ban on Declawing. You can write, phone, fax, or e-mail.
Mayor Pro Tem Sharon Barovsky
City of Malibu
23815 Stuart Ranch Road
Malibu, CA 90265
Email: sbarovsky@ci.malibu.ca.us
Councilmember Jefferson Wagner
City of Malibu
23815 Stuart Ranch Road
Malibu, CA 90265
Email: jwagner@ci.malibu.ca.us
Councilmember John Sibert
City of Malibu
23815 Stuart Ranch Road
Malibu, CA 90265
Email: jsibert@ci.malibu.ca.us
Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich
City of Malibu
23815 Stuart Ranch Road
Malibu, CA 90265
Email: pcu@ci.malibu.ca.us
Please indicate in your message if you are a Malibu resident.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR BERKELEY REPRESENTATIVES
A proposal for a city ordinance to ban declawing has been proposed in the Berkeley City Council. A vote on the declawing ban will be taken on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009, 7:00pm at Council Chambers, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Letters of support would be very helpful and should be sent to the Mayor and to the Berkeley Councilmembers immediately.
Please urge Mayor Bates and the Berkeley Councilmembers to support the Ban on Declawing; every call counts and legislators who are undecided are tallying votes. You can write, phone, fax, or e-mail the Mayor and Councilmembers (see contact info below).
E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR THE BERKELEY CITY SUPERVISORS:
mayor@CityofBerkeley.info,
lmaio@CityofBerkeley.info,
dmoore@CityofBerkeley.info,
manderson@CityofBerkeley.info,
jarreguin@CityofBerkeley.info,
lcapitelli@CityofBerkeley.info,
swengraf@CityofBerkeley.info,
kworthington@CityofBerkeley.info,
gwozniak@CityofBerkeley.info
MAILING ADDRESSES FOR THE BERKELEY CITY MAYOR and REPRESENTATIVES:
Mayor Tom Bates
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Telephone: (510) 981-7100
Fax: (510) 981-7199
Email: mayor@CityofBerkeley.info
Councilmember Linda Maio
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Telephone: (510) 981-7110
Fax: (510) 981-7111
Email: lmaio@CityofBerkeley.info
Councilmember Darryl Moore
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Telephone: (510) 981-7120
Fax: (510) 981-7122
Email: dmoore@CityofBerkeley.info
Councilmember Max Anderson
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Telephone: (510) 981-7130
Fax: (510) 981-7133
Email: manderson@CityofBerkeley.info
Councilmember Jesse Arreguin
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Telephone: (510) 981-7140
Fax: (510) 981-7144
Email: jarreguin@CityofBerkeley.info
Councilmember Laurie Capitelli
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Telephone: (510) 981-7150
Fax: (510) 981-7155
Email: lcapitelli@CityofBerkeley.info
Councilmember Susan Wengraf
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Telephone: (510) 981-7160
Fax: (510) 981-7166
Email: swengraf@CityofBerkeley.info
Councilmember Kriss Worthington
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Telephone: (510) 981-7170
Fax: (510) 981-7177
Email: kworthington@CityofBerkeley.info
Councilmember Gordon Wozniak
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Telephone: (510) 981-7180
Fax: (510) 981-7188
Email: gwozniak@CityofBerkeley.info
Please indicate in your message if you are a Berkeley resident.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR BEVERLY HILLS REPRESENTATIVES
A proposal for a city ordinance to ban declawing has been proposed in the Beverly Hills City Council. A vote will be taken on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009. Letters of support would be very helpful and should be sent to the Mayor and to the Beverly Hills Councilmembers immediately. Phone calls are also effective: every call counts as 115 votes and legislators who are undecided are tallying votes.
Please urge Mayor Krasne and the Beverly Hills Councilmembers to support the Ban on Declawing. You can write, phone, fax, or e-mail the Mayor and Councilmembers (see contact info below).
E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR THE BEVERLY HILLS MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND COUNCILMEMBERS:
nkrasne@beverlyhills.org,
jdelshad@beverlyhills.org,
bbrucker@beverlyhills.org,
wbrien@beverlyhills.org,
jmirisch@beverlyhills.org
If your e-mails bounce back, send e-mails to cityclerkoffice@beverlyhills.org; please note that all Councilmembers have the same telephone number: (310) 285-1000
MAILING ADDRESSES FOR THE BEVERLY HILLS CITY MAYOR and REPRESENTATIVES:
Mayor Nancy Krasne
City of Beverly Hills
455 N. Rexford Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Telephone: (310) 285-1000
Email: nkrasne@beverlyhills.org
Vice Mayor Jimmy Delshad
City of Beverly Hills
455 N. Rexford Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Telephone: (310) 285-1000
Email: jdelshad@beverlyhills.org
Councilmember Barry Brucker
City of Beverly Hills
455 N. Rexford Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Telephone: (310) 285-1000
Email: bbrucker@beverlyhills.org
Councilmember William W. Brien, MD
City of Beverly Hills
455 N. Rexford Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Telephone: (310) 285-1000
Email: wbrien@beverlyhills.org
Councilmember John A. Mirisch
City of Beverly Hills
455 N. Rexford Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Telephone: (310) 285-1000
Email: jmirisch@beverlyhills.org
Please indicate in your message if you are a Beverly Hills resident.
Click here to see KCET's video on the declawing controversy
Who opposes Bans on Declawing?
In 2009, the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) sponsored SB 762, which will become state law in 2010. It will prohibit local governments from enacting declaw bans, such as the one in West Hollywood.
SB 762 is identical to a 2008 bill, AB 2427, which despite efforts by members of The Paw Project and other animal welfare organizations, passed in both the California Senate and Assembly. The bill was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger.
In 2003, the city of West Hollywood passed the nation's first ban on declawing, which is an amputation of the toe bone containing the claw. It is currently illegal for any person in the City of West Hollywood to declaw any animal without a medical reason, such as injury, infection, or disease that requires the removal claw.
The California Veterinary Medical Association contends that local laws are a restriction of veterinary practice and that a local government may not pass such a law. West Hollywood's position is that has the right to prohibit anyone from performing a procedure it considers cruel. Declawing is already illegal or considered unethical in most of the rest of the world.
Why does the CVMA want to protect a procedure that is widely considered to be inhumane?
Veterinarians want to protect their ability to declaw cats despite the fact that their colleagues in most other nations consider declawing a violation of professional ethics. California vets' British brethren officially list declawing as "mutilation" and as an "unacceptable practice." The AVMA admonishes veterinarians to treat the behavioral causes of unwanted scratching before resorting to surgery, but one need only perform a quick internet search to see that declawing is actively marketed to veterinary clients. It is even offered in discounted package deals with routine spaying and neutering. This practice is known in the veterinary world as "supersizing" a spay (or neuter).
Why the fuss over declawing?
The bill was not actually about the moral or medical merits of declawing. It is about the right of a community to set its own standards about which activities are acceptable within its jurisdiction. The precedents set by this bill will have far-reaching effects for communities dealing with thhis and other animal welfare issues indefinitely.
Write a letter to the CVMA
Tell the CVMA to back off and to use more of their time and resources for helping animals
CVMA Officers:
Mark Nunez, DVM, CVMA President
14931 Oxnard Street
Van Nuys, CA 91411
Business: (818) 786-1651
Fax: (818) 786-0121
E-mail: drmarknunez@msn.com
Dean Henricks, DVM, CVMA President-Elect
7404 Auburn Blvd.
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
Business: (916) 725-2700
William Grant II, DVM, CVMA Past-President
13200 Euclid Street
Garden Grove, CA 92843
Business: (714) 537-5390
Fax: (714) 537-1971
E-mail: Vets4Pets@aol.com
CVMA Staff:
Executive Director, Valerie Fenstermaker
1400 River Park Drive, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95815
Phone: 916-649-0599 - Voice Mail #32
Fax: 916-646-9156
E-mail address: vfenstermaker@cvma.net
Assistant Executive Director, Dan Segna, DVM
1400 River Park Drive, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95815
Phone: 916-649-0599 - Voice Mail #36
Fax: 916-646-9156
E-mail address: dsegna@cvma.net
or Make a Donation
by Personal Check
Please make check payable to:
The Paw Project
P.O. Box 445
Santa Monica CA 90406-0445
The Paw Project is a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization
The volunteers of The Paw Project and all of our feline friends thank you for your support!
Together We Have Made A Difference!
Feline declawing affords no benefits to the health or well-being of the animal, but instead produces health or behavioral problems in many cases.
View cases studies in which declawing has proven to be harmful »
In recognition of this important animal welfare issue, former California Assembly member Paul Koretz (D-42nd District) introduced California
State Assembly Bill AB 1857, which bans the practice of declawing of captive wild and exotic cats, such as tigers, lions, and cougar in the State of California.
AB 1857 was the first bill of its kind in the United States. It was passed by the California State Assembly on May 17, 2004, by the California Senate on August 24, 2004,
and was signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The passage of AB 1857 in California demonstrated that grassroots compaigns can be effective. You can make a difference in your community and your state! Start at the
local level.
The Paw Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that exists to increase public awareness about animal welfare and animal cruelty issues related to the crippling
effects of cat declawing, to rehabilitate declawed exotic and wild cats, and to end the practice of declaw surgery or onychectomy on domestic cats and feral felines.
- Mailing Address
PO Box 445
Santa Monica, CA
90406-0445
- Paw Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization