Sign the petition *

Sign the Montreal SPCA's petition *

WHEREAS onyxectomy, commonly known as "declawing," is an invasive surgery that involves partially amputating a cat's toes for non-therapeutic purposes;



WHEREAS declawing leads to acute and sometimes chronic orthopedic pain, as well as neurological pain;



WHEREAS declawing has a detrimental impact on the psychological welfare of cats, depriving them of many of their natural behaviours, as well as affecting their natural balance and agility;



WHEREAS declawing can lead to several behavioural problems, including elimination issues and aggression;



WHEREAS statistics from eight Californian cities that have banned declawing indicate that the number of cats surrendered to shelters has progressively declined since the ban;



WHEREAS declawing is generally practiced for the sake of convenience, for the sole purpose of preventing the cat from damaging furniture;



WHEREAS there are multiple effective and easy ways to prevent damage caused by scratching, such as regular nail trimming and scratching-post training;



WHEREAS the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) considers declawing unacceptable from an ethical standpoint and the Association des techniciens en santé animale du Québec (ATSAQ) , as well as the Association des étudiants en médecine vétérinaire du Québec (AEMVQ), also oppose the procedure;



WHEREAS declawing has been banned for years in over 30 countries due to its negative impact on feline welfare;



WHEREAS the veterinary boards of Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island banned declawing in 2018 and several other provincial boards, including those in Alberta, Manitoba, and New Brunswick, have announced upcoming bans;



WHEREAS, according to recent surveys published by the Association des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (AMVQ), 61% of all veterinarians and 88% of veterinarians aged 30 or under believe that the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ) should ban declawing;



WHEREAS many veterinary clinics and referral centers in Quebec now refuse to perform declawing;



WHEREAS a ban on declawing would be the logical next step in the series of legislative changes related to animal welfare that have taken place in Quebec in recent years, including the adoption of the Animal Welfare and Safety Act (CQLR, c. B-3.1), the recognition of animals as sentient beings with biological imperatives in the Civil Code of Quebec (article 898.1), and the OMVQ’s ban on tail docking and ear cropping;



WHEREAS the OMVQ has the duty to promote an ethical, modern, and evidence-based practice of veterinary medicine that makes animal health and welfare central to its concerns, and declawing is incompatible with such a vision of the profession;



We, the undersigned, citizens or residents of Quebec, ask the Ordre des médecins veterinaires du Québec to take action by banning the practice of declawing in Quebec.