Should Ontario Ban Declawing Cats and Cropping Dogs' Ears?
Official title: Proposed Regulation to Prohibit Medically Unnecessary Procedures Performed on Dogs and Cats under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019
Ontario wants to ban cosmetic surgeries on pets that serve no medical purpose. This includes declawing cats, cropping dogs' ears, and removing dogs' vocal cords. Vets could still perform these procedures when medically necessary for the animal's health.
Why This Matters
Own a cat or dog? This affects what procedures your vet can offer. If you've been considering declawing your cat to protect furniture, that option would disappear. Breeders who crop ears for show dogs would need to stop. The goal is to prevent unnecessary pain for pets.
What Could Change
Declawing cats, cropping dogs' ears, and debarking dogs would become illegal in Ontario. Animal welfare inspectors would gain authority to enforce the ban. Vets who perform these procedures without medical justification could face penalties under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act.
Key Issues
- Should declawing cats be banned except when medically necessary?
- Should ear cropping for dogs be prohibited?
- Should devocalization (debarking) of dogs be banned?
- What exceptions should exist for medically necessary procedures?
How to Participate
- Review the proposal details on this consultation page to understand the proposed ban on medically unnecessary procedures.
- Submit your feedback using the comment form by the deadline.